Theatre and The Virtual

How is immersive and interactive technology integrated into theatre? How did the ‘digital boom’ and Covid-19 pandemic expand this integration? How does this integration affect the work, and the accessibility of the work?

This brief study examines the intersection of the augmented, mixed, and virtual reality technologies with theatre, exploring how this intersection has exploded over the last 15 years and how it can shape the art form moving forward.

Explored through four interlinked topics – immersion, interactivity, inclusion, and collaboration – Theatre and The Virtual celebrates the strengths of using this technology in creating theatre, whilst also recognizing the challenges of limited circulation and unequal access. In doing so, this concise guide investigates what the future of theatre may look like.

Author Biography

Aneta Mancewicz is Senior Lecturer in Drama and Theatre at Royal Holloway, University of London, UK. She works on digital technologies, Shakespeare adaptations, and European Theatre. Her publications include: Extended Reality Shakespeare (2024), Hamlet after Deconstruction (2022), Intermedial Shakespeares on European Stages (2014), and Biedny Hamlet [Poor Hamlet] (2010).