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Follow the Story: Narrative and Immersion

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Abstract

The role of “story” in immersive theatre is one of continual interest. After introducing several key concepts from narrative theory—outlining past and current models of discourse, plot, story, character and causality—the chapter proposes a means to apply these concepts to immersive theatre and audience experience, using Punchdrunk’s linear immersive production The Crash of the Elysium (2011) as a case study. Arguing that this interactive promenade collaboration with(in) the BBC’s Doctor Who universe saw audience members physically embody narrative events, the chapter concludes that form and story structure have a reciprocal relationship in facilitating immersive experience.

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Correspondence to Rose Biggin .

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Biggin, R. (2017). Follow the Story: Narrative and Immersion. In: Immersive Theatre and Audience Experience. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62039-8_5

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