Overview

This comprehensive text is the first survey to explore the theory, history and practice of immersive theatre. Charting the rise of the immersive theatre phenomenon, Josephine Machon shares her wealth of expertise in the field of contemporary performance, inviting the reader to immerse themselves within this abundantly illustrated text. The first section of the book introduces concepts of immersion, situating them within a historical context and establishing a clear critical vocabulary for discussion. The second section then presents contributions from a wealth of immersive artists. Assuming no prior knowledge with its critical commentary, this is a rich resource for lecturers and students at all levels and internationally, including undergraduates and post-graduates, as well as practitioners and researchers of contemporary performance. This would also be an ideal text for general enthusiasts and readers with an interest in immersive theatre.

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9781137019837

Table of Contents

Reviews

'Machon's book provides a thorough, detailed exploration of immersive theater...Though Machon is expressive throughout, she is at her best when she uses a broad array of theoretical lenses - drawn from anthropology, architecture, literature, performance, geography, philosophy, and visual art - in order to delineate what makes the referenced theaters immersive, immediate, and intimate. This is an indispensable resource for anyone interested in contemporary theater. Essential reading' - Choice 'A uniquely comprehensive and valuable text that I would have no hesitation in recommending to my students. The critical commentary combines with the rich collection of interviews to make an excellent resource for undergraduates, postgraduates, researchers and general interest readers.' - Sita Popat, Chair in Performance and Technology, University of Leeds, UK 'A useful and very necessary book. It is the first monograph that is solely devoted to immersive theatre, a phenomenon of huge popularity, which has nonetheless given both critics and scholars a hard time to pin down and to conceptualise... this volume is very much apt to spark scholarly debate on immersive theatre and advance its scholarly and aesthetic understanding.' - Journal of Contemporary Drama in English

'A uniquely comprehensive and valuable text that I would have no hesitation in recommending to my students. The critical commentary combines with the rich collection of interviews to make an excellent resource for undergraduates, postgraduates, researchers and general interest readers.' - Sita Popat, Chair in Performance and Technology, University of Leeds

This book comes at a potential tipping point for those of us who study and practise theatre. In the age of Web 2.0, immersive practice looks forward to a rich style of developing affective storytelling and connection via theatrical performance. At the heart of this book is an assessment of the state of theatre at the outset of an existential crisis, looking for ways to bring its audience back into the fold. * William Lewis, New Theatre Quarterly, Vol. 31 (3) *

Author Information

Josephine Machon is Senior Research Fellow in Contemporary Performance Practice at Middlesex University, London, UK. She is the author of (Syn)aesthetics: Redefining Visceral Performance (2009, 2011). Josephine is also the co-editor of Performance and Technology (2006), Sensualities/Textualities and Technologies (2010) and Identity, Performance and Technology (2012) and joint editor of the Palgrave Macmillan Series in Performance and Technology.

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