Audience memory and reception of immersive theatre in urban centres

Thesis Abstract

This study investigates how audiences encode, retain, and interpret experiences from immersive theatre performances in dense urban contexts, where site specificity, spatial navigation, and social interaction shape memory formation and reception processes. The problem addressed is the gap in understanding how multisensory engagement, procedural dramaturgy, and ambient urban stimuli interact to influence recall accuracy, emotional resonance, and critical interpretation among diverse urban audiences. The aim is to elucidate the cognitive and affective mechanisms underlying audience memory for immersive theatre and to map how reception varies with audiences’ prior theatre exposure, cultural capital, and urban mobility patterns. Specific objectives are (1) to identify the relative contributions of narrative immersion, embodied interaction, and environmental cues to episodic and semantic memory; (2) to examine how social co-presence and group dynamics modulate shared remembrance and interpretation; (3) to assess the role of place attachment and urban context in shaping reception across different metropolitan districts; (4) to evaluate differential memory decay and the enduring accuracy of event details over a four-week post-performance period; and (5) to develop a conceptual model linking dramaturgical design features with memory outcomes and evaluative judgments. The methodology employs a mixed-methods design combining a quasi-experimental field study with in-depth qualitative inquiry. The population comprises adults aged 18–55 who attend immersive theatre in three major urban centres and who have not previously participated in the same production. A stratified random sample of 300 audience members will be recruited across six performances, with 150 completing a follow-up memory assessment after four weeks. Data collection instruments include (a) a standardized memory recall task incorporating cued and free recall, recognition tests for plot details and spatial actions, and a situational judgment scale; (b) a multi-item self-report questionnaire measuring engagement (using the Engagement with Immersive Theatre Scale), perceived realism, emotional arousal (PANAS), and perceived social presence; (c) a post-performance interview protocol for a purposive subsample of 40 participants to explore interpretive frameworks and memory consolidation processes; and (d) observational checklists to document dramaturgical design features and environmental cues during performances. Validity will be enhanced through pre-testing of instruments, triangulation across memory measures, and intercoder reliability for qualitative data (Cohen’s kappa ? 0.70). Reliability will be established via internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha ? 0.80) for scale-based measures. Data analysis will integrate quantitative and qualitative approaches. Descriptive statistics will summarize participant characteristics and memory outcomes. Inferential analyses will include multiple regression to determine predictors of immediate and delayed recall, MANOVA to examine memory distinctions across urban districts, and hierarchical linear modeling to account for nested data (participants within performances). Mediation analyses will test whether engagement and social presence mediate the relationship between dramaturgical features (e.g., spatial interactivity, actor-audience proximity) and memory performance. The qualitative dataset will be analyzed through thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke (2006), with coding conducted by two researchers and corroborated via member checking. A convergent parallel design will integrate findings to refine the theoretical model. Key expected findings include that embodied interactivity and tightly integrated environmental cues will significantly enhance episodic memory encoding, while higher social presence will correlate with more vivid collective recall but may also introduce shared biases. District-specific urban stimuli (noise levels, crowding) are anticipated to modulate attention allocation, affecting both accuracy and richness of memory. The study will contribute to knowledge by articulating a context-sensitive model of memory for immersive theatre, integrating concepts from cognitive psychology, performance studies, and urban ethnography. The theoretical framework will draw on theories of embodied cognition, environment-behavior relations, and social memory, notably Ehlers and Clark’s (2000) memory schema approach and Arendt’s concept of the public realm as a stage for collective memory. The findings are expected to inform dramaturgy, venue design, and audience development practices by identifying design features that optimize meaningful memory formation and nuanced reception. The main conclusion will highlight the balance between immersive affordances and cognitive load to foster durable, richly textured audience memories, with recommendations for creators to tailor spatial dramaturgy, post-performance engagement, and accessibility considerations to different urban contexts and audience profiles. Suggestions for future research include longitudinal studies tracking memory across multiple immersive productions and comparative analyses across cities with distinct urban morphologies and cultural ecosystems.