The “fourth wall” – a term popularised by philosopher and critic Denis Diderot to describe the imaginary barrier between audience and stage – is often broken by performers, usually by directly acknowledging the presence of the audience. This technique consciously addresses the fictional device and penetrates the boundaries drawn by traditional theatre. But what happens when the audience isn’t just acknowledged, but invited inside the work?
While breaking the fourth wall isn’t new, some recent Australian works in both theatre and visual arts have been shattering conventional narratives and asking audiences to physically enter the space where the work is taking place.
