Sensory Theatre

Sensory Theatre is an accessible step-by-step guide to creating theatre for inclusive audiences, such as babies and toddlers, or young people who are on the Autism Spectrum or affected by other neuro-divergent conditions. In this updated and considerably expanded second edition, 10 new chapters share the diverse experiences of sensory theatre companies across the world.

This book traces sensory theatre’s core work and fundamental concepts, harnessing the power of five or more senses to address its participants who have different ways of relating to the world around them. It offers a host of practical techniques drawn from over 40 years of experience with Oily Cart, especially radical innovations such as theatre on trampolines, in hydrotherapy pools, and with flying audiences in the company of aerial artists. The book also includes copious photos from the Oily Cart’s archives and many links to video examples of the company’s work. While the first half of the book presents an insightful overview of Oily Cart’s history and pioneering development of work for the very young, including baby theatre and those described in the UK as having Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities (PMLD), the second half of this book is dedicated to sensory theatre companies around the world and explores how they adopted different techniques, such as incorporating online and digital programming with their analogue multi-sensory work.

Readers will learn how to:
Research the intended audience while not being led astray by labels. Create a welcoming, immersive sensory space in classrooms, nurseries, school halls and playgrounds. Recruit, audition, cast and run rehearsals. Ensure that the production is truly sensory and interactive.
Written for theatre practitioners as well as educators, the second edition of Sensory Theatre is ideal for Theatre for Young Audiences, Drama in Education and specialised Applied Theatre courses.