In the past, it was all so easy. When you bought a theatre ticket, you could be pretty confident that you would sit in a row with other people, watch the play in the dark and clap at the end. The fourth wall ensured that was all you had to do. No longer. Audiences are increasingly asked to be participants or collaborators; to take part, sometimes to follow instructions, and occasionally even to have agency. One of the fascinating things about Bordergame is that online participants apparently have the power to control the theatrical game and make decisions that change outcomes. But in a public situation the urge to do the right thing, conform and not make a spectacle of ourselves remains strong. If that weren’t the case, I reckon traditional theatre would be plagued by continuous walkouts. Instead, people slip away quietly at the interval – from a desire not to draw attention to themselves as much as respect for the actors.
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