Designing and Evaluating Interactive Environmental Theatre Experiences for Audience Engagement

Thesis Abstract

In recent years, the immersive and participatory dimensions of environmental theatre have gained prominence as potent means of enhancing audience engagement through interactive experiences that intertwine physical, sensory, and emotional elements within natural or constructed environments. Despite the growing interest, there remains a significant gap in empirical research regarding the systematic design, implementation, and evaluation of these immersive theatrical experiences to maximize audience involvement and socio-emotional impact. This study aims to develop a comprehensive framework for designing interactive environmental theatre that fosters heightened engagement, grounded in a systematic examination of audience responses and interaction dynamics. The specific objectives include identifying effective design features that facilitate audience participation, evaluating the psychological and emotional effects of these experiences, and proposing a model for practitioners to implement immersive environmental theatre that sustains engagement. Employing a mixed-methods research design, the study integrates qualitative and quantitative approaches to capture a holistic understanding of audience experience. The population comprises adult theatre-goers in urban settings, with a sample of 150 participants recruited through stratified random sampling from diverse backgrounds to ensure representativeness. Data collection instruments include self-administered questionnaires measuring engagement levels (using adapted versions of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale), semi-structured interviews exploring subjective experiences, and observational checklists during performances. To validate the instruments, content validity was established via expert reviews, and reliability was confirmed through Cronbach’s alpha coefficients exceeding 0.80 for key scales. Quantitative data are analyzed through descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression to identify key predictors of engagement. Qualitative data are subjected to thematic analysis, following Braun and Clarke’s approach, to interpret experiential narratives and identify recurrent themes related to interaction and emotional immersion. The anticipated findings are that specific design features—such as environmental cues, interactive technologies, and audience-driven narratives—significantly enhance engagement levels. Furthermore, elements like physical proximity, sensory stimulation, and participatory roles are expected to correlate positively with emotional and cognitive involvement. The analysis aims to reveal that audience engagement is mediated by perceived agency, environmental immersion, and social interaction within the theatrical space. These results will contribute to refining theoretical understandings rooted in performance studies and ecological psychology, particularly extending frames from Goffman’s Interaction Theory and the Flow Theory by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. The study hypothesizes that well-structured interactive elements produce higher engagement, mediated by audience perceptions of agency and immersion. This research’s contribution to knowledge lies in creating an empirically grounded, practically applicable model for designing immersive environmental theatre that maximizes audience participation. It advances the theoretical discourse by empirically validating key design principles and engagement predictors, thus providing evidence-based guidelines for practitioners and scholars. The main conclusions highlight that environmental context, technological integration, and participatory dramaturgy are critical for elevating engagement levels. Based on the findings, the study recommends incorporating audience-centered design principles, leveraging interactive technologies, and fostering social interaction during performances. It advocates for further longitudinal research to assess the long-term effects of immersive theatre on social cohesion and emotional well-being. Ultimately, this study bridges critical gaps between theoretical frameworks and practical implementation, offering valuable insights for theatre practitioners, researchers, and educators seeking to innovate within environmental theatre spaces.