Introduction – performing in digital in the COVID-19 era

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper introduces the special issue of ‘Performing in Digital’ and reflects the processes and experiences of theatre performance, production, and education during the most affected years of the COVID-19 pandemic. It examines the form, modality, and mediality of theatre production and collaboration during this time, for theatre practitioners and general audiences. As theatres went dark in 2020, performance education and production practices migrated into a largely online and digital space. This paper presents new findings into the sense of self and liveness while analysing the shift in performance: culturally and socially, from the physical to the hyper-connected online space.