Stepping into Ibsen:

Accessible Interactive Adaptation as a Model for Renewing Theatrical Audiences

 This research reflected on the development of an interactive adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People and argued that such participatory forms offer a sustainable and audience-expanding model for contemporary theatre. Using my adaptation as a case study, I examined how reworking a canonical drama through non-linear pathways, audience choice, and site-responsive staging reshapes both the dramaturgy and the spectator’s relationship to the work. Rather than treating immersion as novelty, the project positions interactivity as an interpretive tool: allowing audiences to navigate conflicting perspectives within the play, the adaptation foregrounds the thematic tensions between truth, community, and power that animate Ibsen’s original text.

Emphasizing process as a form of research. Experimenting with lightweight, low-cost techniques—QR-code media fragments, non-theatre spaces, and performer-guided choice points—revealed how immersive design can be achieved without the high financial barriers that often limit innovation. These methods not only reduce material waste and production costs but also create flexible formats that smaller companies and educational institutions can adapt. A key outcome of the project was its appeal to younger and first-time theatre goers, many of whom responded to the agency, immediacy, and informality of the experience. Their engagement suggests that interactive structures may serve as a sustainable strategy for revitalizing theatre’s audience base, inviting participation from communities who feel disconnected from traditional modes of spectatorship.

This research argues that immersive adaptation—rooted in process, accessibility, and experimentation—offers a viable pathway for theatres seeking artistic renewal, financial sustainability, and broader audience reach.

*Presented at the 2026 Comparative Drama Conference

Referenced production: An Investment of the People