This practice-led research explores the emerging idea of mixed reality (MR) theatre through a queer perspective. The research is grounded in the context of the growing global and local recognition of augmented reality and virtual reality media, emerging interest in the metaverse in Australia, as well as the increasing patriarchal and conservative digital culture manifesting influences on queer community in relation to the metaverse environment. This research seeks to understand the questions: ‘how does mixed reality theatre disrupt and reform theatricality and open new dramaturgical opportunities, given the complicated intersection of theatre, the metaverse and the human experience?’ and ‘how do the dramaturgical opportunities in mixed reality theatre interact with queer narrative to generate affectual queer performances in the metaverse?’ This research uses research-based theatre making as its primary method to develop a series of MR theatre performances. This method involves three stages to develop an experimental MR theatre: concept design, production, and performance. Research participants from the queer community or closely related will be invited for a focus group or interview activities for reflections. This will provide me with individual experiences in collectiveness along with the present queer studies in both social science and theatre fields to explore queer narrative in this new form of MR theatre.

 

I am currently looking for people from the queer community or closely related to share their individual experiences and opinions about current queer issues in cyberculture. This research does not collect any direct information from you. Your participated activities including interviews and focus group will not be audio and video recorded. I will make general reflective notes based on his observation during the activities. No personal or sensitive stories will be noted. I may note quotes from you, for which he will show you the noted quote at the end of the activity to allow your quotes to be collected. Therefore, there will be no direct data will be collected from you apart from potential quotes. the general reflective notes made during the activities will be used to contribute to my thinking about the story and the dramaturgical design for the MR theatre. I will not use any identifiable personal and sensitive stories from you in his creation of story. The story of the performance is also generalised and does not target to any individual participant.

 

Name: Chenfei Xiao

Email: Chenfei.Xiao@anu.edu.au

 

28 February 2025