Thematic Exploration and Multisensory Storytelling in Contemporary Theatre: A Case Study of Site-Specific Performances and Audience Spatial Dynamics

Project Abstract

This study investigates how thematic exploration and multisensory storytelling can be harnessed to reframe contemporary theatre through site-specific performances and dynamic audience spatial dynamics. Grounded in performance theory, sensory ethnography, and space/place studies, the research examines how material environments, architectural textures, ambient acoustics, lighting cues, scent, touch, and audience movement converge to create emergent meanings beyond conventional proscenium staging. Employing a mixed-methods design, the project combines qualitative methods—in-depth interviews with creators, dramaturgical analysis of script and score,???? of rehearsal-to-performance processes, and participant observation of audience interactions—with quantitative measures of spatial engagement, dwell time, and movement trajectories captured through wearable sensors and venue-based tracking. The case study centres on a portfolio of three site-specific performances set in contrasting urban ecologies (an abandoned warehouse, a public park, and a historic theatre’s backstage labyrinth), enabling comparative inquiry into how context, memory, and spatial politics shape thematic transmission and audience immersion. The research foregrounds three interlinked axes (1) thematic construction across multisensory registers, tracing how narrative motifs are distributed through object theatre, projections, soundscapes, gustatory and olfactory cues, and haptic atmospheres to produce layered interpretations; (2) audience as co-creator within non-traditional spaces, exploring how navigational agency, proximity to performers, and responsive dramaturgy reconfigure authorship and meaning-making; and (3) spatial dynamics as a narrative force, analyzing how architecture, routes, thresholds, and environmental affordances generate affective arcs, tension, and catharsis. Theoretical contributions synthesize Bergson, Bakhtin, and Merleau-Ponty with contemporary theatre practice, performance design, and sensory studies to articulate a framework for multisensory storytelling that leverages materiality and place to democratize access and broaden interpretive horizons. Methodologically, the study develops a rigorous coding scheme for perceptual and experiential data, a framework for mapping audience-flow narratives, and a reflexive practice-based evaluation protocol guiding future production decisions. Expected outcomes include a principled model for designing site-specific performances that foreground thematic clarity while preserving spatial ambiguity, a typology of multisensory dramaturgy techniques adaptable to diverse venues, and practical guidelines for sustaining ethical audience engagement and safety in complex environments. The findings aim to illuminate how site specificity can intensify thematic resonance, how multisensory cues orchestrate memory and emotion, and how participatory audience configurations can expand contemporary theatre’s communicative reach. Ultimately, the research seeks to contribute to both scholarly discourse and professional practice by offering actionable insight into crafting immersive, responsible, and thematically coherent theatre experiences that acknowledge and exploit the transformative potential of place, perception, and movement.

Project Overview

What This Project Is About

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A plain-language overview of the topic and what the project investigates.

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The Problem It Addresses

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What problem or gap this project tackles and why it matters to the field or society.

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Objectives of the Project

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1. Explore how themes are presented across different theatre forms.
2. Explain multisensory storytelling and how it engages audiences beyond text.
3. Examine how site-specific settings shape performance choices and audience experience.
4. Identify methods to balance visual, auditory, and spatial elements for clarity and impact.

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What You Will Do Step by Step

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1. Review key theatre theories and case studies on site-specific performances.
2. Attend or view selected performances to note sensory elements and spatial layout.
3. Document audience reactions and movement within the space.
4. Interview practitioners about design decisions and storytelling goals.
5. Analyze how settings influence interpretation of themes.
6. Develop a framework linking site, senses, and narrative clarity.
7. Test the framework on a small-scale workshop or performance.
8. Reflect on ethical and practical considerations in site-specific work.

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Expected Outcome

A clear, user-friendly framework outlining how multisensory and site-specific choices shape thematic storytelling, plus practical guidelines for performers and directors to implement these ideas in real productions.