Around the World: A Case Study in Networked Theatre

Introduction: Theatre Across Borders in the Digital Age

Networked theatre—performance that uses digital networks to connect participants across locations—has become a significant mode of international collaboration. It enables artists and audiences to interact in real time despite geographical distance, often blending live and virtual elements. One notable example is Around the World, an annual project by the theatre collective The Internationalists. This case study examines how Around the World operates, the formats it employs, and what it reveals about the practical and conceptual dimensions of networked theatre. It draws on the project’s own online description as well as broader scholarship on networked and global theatre.

Defining Networked Theatre

Networked theatre is not a single form but a set of practices that use internet technologies to enable collaborative performance across dispersed sites. As the UK applied theatre company C&T describes its own ‘Networked Theatre’ practice, it involves mixing drama, learning, and digital media to create online utilities for collaborative educational drama experiences (Source [2]). Similarly, the ‘Global Theatre’ concept proposed by researchers connects students and theatres over the Internet to share performing arts in synchronized time, regardless of location (Source [4]). Common features include:

• Real-time or near-real-time transmission of audio and video between venues.
• Performances designed for both co-present and remote audiences.
• Use of digital platforms for rehearsal, presentation, and documentation.
• An emphasis on intercultural exchange and glocalisation—the interplay of global connectivity and local context (Source [2]).

These practices challenge traditional notions of theatrical presence and spectatorship. They require careful attention to technology, time zones, language, and cultural difference.

The Around the World Project: An Overview

According to its website, Around the World is an annual experience by The Internationalists that ‘explores the very nature of international theatre’ by presenting plays simultaneously around the world. The project aims to connect audiences and actors—’blurring the lines between theatre and life’—through both live and virtual spaces. The website states that work has been seen live in New York, Berlin, The Hague, Bucharest, Mexico City, and Paris, and that virtually, thousands have watched collectively in over 61 countries (Source [1]). These figures are self-reported by the project; independent verification is not provided in the available sources.

The project has two main formats:

1. Live presentations of written works from around the world, presented live to an audience and broadcast online.
2. Simultaneous performance between one city and another, where the audience watches live from a theatre while the work is also transmitted elsewhere.

The website notes that themes change each year and that the project adapts as technologies advance. It also emphasises the intimacy of the virtual experience, which ‘heightens the sense of what it means to be apart’ (Source [1]).

How It Works: Formats and Production

The two formats described above illustrate different approaches to networked performance. In the first, a live presentation is staged for a physical audience and streamed online simultaneously. This model extends the reach of a conventional theatre event, allowing remote spectators to watch in real time. In the second, the performance itself is split between two locations: one city and another are connected, and the audience in a theatre watches the live performance while the work is also being performed or transmitted from the other city. This creates a sense of co-presence and interdependence.

The project’s structure is flexible: it may be experienced by many or only by a few, and the intimacy of the virtual experience is highlighted. This aligns with broader trends in networked theatre, where small-scale, intimate exchanges can be as significant as large-scale broadcasts. For practitioners, the key production considerations include:

• Technology: reliable video conferencing or streaming platforms, adequate bandwidth, and backup systems.
• Direction: staging for multiple cameras and audiences, coordinating actors and technicians across sites.
• Language: translation, surtitles, or multilingual casting to ensure accessibility.
• Documentation: recording performances and archiving digital materials for research and future use.

While the sources do not detail specific technical setups for Around the World, these are standard concerns for networked theatre projects.

Context: Networked Theatre in Practice

Around the World is one of several initiatives that explore the intersection of theatre and digital networks. C&T’s Networked Theatre, for example, focuses on applied drama and learning, using a custom online utility to facilitate collaborative educational experiences (Source [2]). The Global Theatre project, implemented in 2009 and 2010, connected students and theatres in Thailand, Japan, and Malaysia for translated and international collaborative plays (Source [4]). The Around-the-Globe Chain Play, presented at the Lark Play Development Center in 2013, was a reading event for World Theatre Day that linked playwrights and audiences globally via livestream (Source [3]).

These examples differ in purpose and scale. Around the World emphasises simultaneous performance and the poetic tension between proximity and distance. C&T’s work is pedagogical and community-oriented. Global Theatre is rooted in performing arts education and intercultural understanding. The Chain Play is a celebratory, script-based event. Together, they demonstrate the versatility of networked theatre as a framework for exchange.

Challenges and Considerations

Networked theatre projects face several recurring challenges. Technical failure can disrupt the performance and the audience’s experience. Time zones may require unusual scheduling. Language barriers necessitate translation or multilingual solutions—a central concern for international theatre. Cultural differences in performance conventions, audience behaviour, and communication styles must be navigated sensitively. Moreover, the digital divide means that not all participants have equal access to reliable technology, which can affect who can take part.

For Around the World, the self-description highlights the intimacy of virtual experience as a creative resource rather than a limitation. This suggests that the project treats the constraints of networked performance as aesthetic material. However, specific adaptations or access measures are not documented in the available sources. Practitioners interested in similar work should plan for redundancy, test technology thoroughly, and build in flexibility.

Impact and Lessons for Practitioners

Although independent evaluation of Around the World is not available, the project illustrates several principles valuable for students and practitioners:

• Hybridity as a creative choice: combining live and online audiences can produce new forms of theatricality.
• Intimacy across distance: small-scale, focused exchanges can be more powerful than large broadcasts.
• International collaboration: working across cities and countries requires clear communication, shared vision, and respect for local contexts.
• Technological agility: as technologies evolve, so can the artistic approach.
• Documentation and reflection: capturing the process and outcomes helps build knowledge for the field.

The project’s longevity (it is described as annual) and its reach across multiple continents suggest that it has sustained the interest of artists and audiences. For those seeking models of cross-border performance, Around the World offers a useful reference point—one that prioritises connection and intimacy over spectacle.

Conclusion

Around the World exemplifies networked theatre’s potential to connect people across borders through simultaneous, hybrid performance. By presenting plays in multiple cities and online, The Internationalists have created a format that blurs the boundaries between live and virtual, local and global. While much about the project’s history and impact remains documented only by its organisers, its approach offers valuable lessons for international theatre practice. As digital tools continue to shape performance, case studies like this help us understand how theatre can thrive across distances.