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Environment and site-specificity
space, place and immersion
pp. 177-205
Abstract
This chapter considers immersive audience experience in relation to the theatrical environment, arguing that theorising "immersive theatre" and "immersive experience" as separate but interrelated concepts allows for a more nuanced discussion of how Punchdrunk's use of space affects audiences. After outlining current approaches to site-specificity and the host/ghost relationship, the chapter offers a comparative analysis of Punchdrunk's The Borough (2013) and The Drowned Man (2013–2014). Through their relationship to immersive experience and environment, Biggin demonstrates how both productions manipulated space and site together with structure to achieve immersive effects: The Drowned Man's structure, more typical for Punchdrunk, of audiences exploring a building; and The Borough's more unusual form of guided outdoor audiowalk. The chapter anticipates further exploration of the overlap between immersive forms and pervasive gaming.
Publication details
Published in:
Biggin Rose (2017) Immersive theatre and audience experience: space, game and story in the work of punchdrunk. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan.
Pages: 177-205
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-62039-8_8
Full citation:
Biggin Rose (2017) Environment and site-specificity: space, place and immersion, In: Immersive theatre and audience experience, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 177–205.