Audience participation in theatre: Aesthetics of the invitation by Gareth White

Abstract

How can an invitation to participate be understood as an art and the audience the medium? Formulating a set of aesthetic theories to answer this question and many others about participation, Gareth White’s book is a welcome addition to a growing body of literature addressing the ‘social turn’ inflecting contemporary artistic practices, particularly in the performing arts. Responding to and building on works such as Claire Bishop’s Artificial Hells and Bruce McConachie’s Engaging Audiences, as well as complementing Josephine Machon’s recent Immersive Theatres, White’s book productively fills a particular gap.