What is interactive theatre? Your guide to interactive and immersive shows

Interactive theatre is a form of performance that intentionally breaks the unspoken barrier between actors and the audience. Theatregoers are invited to become active participants rather than just observers.

As such, interactive productions lean toward audience involvement that varies by show. Viewers may read lines, cast a vote, role-play, or directly engage with the performers, either from their seat or on the stage. Sometimes, audience input alters the plot or outcome of a show.

Magic shows are a popular example of interactive theatre, with audience members often chosen to assist with the magicians' tricks.

Before the show begins, audience members are asked if they’d like to participate. You don’t have to if you don't want to!

You could be asked to read a numbered item from the list, or Radcliffe may have you step up as his character's dad (he gets a moment to shine), counselor (memo: wear nice socks), or girlfriend. This interactive element makes every performance different.

Daniel Radcliffe’s latest Broadway show joins multiple other interactive theatre list productions running in NYC.

• Every Brilliant Thing: Daniel Radcliffe may interact with you from your seat or on stage in this solo play, where audience members step in as various characters.
• The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee: This endearing, laugh-out-loud musical about competitive young word whizzes has a built-in I-N-T-E-R-A-C-T-I-V-E element. Four audience volunteers are chosen to compete in the bee on stage with the cast at every performance of the show. New York Theatre Guide unpacked the experience firsthand.
• Drunk Shakespeare: Interaction is central in this Off-Broadway comedy in which five actors, one of whom downs shots as the show starts, present a play by the Bard. One theatregoer is invited to take a shot to confirm it’s really booze. Each night, two “Royal Seats” are auctioned off, granting the winners power to give commands to the actors.
• Just In Time: In this musical about the life of singer Bobby Darin, the lead actor, as both Darin and himself, frequently chats and flirts with audience members surrounding the stage in the Circle in the Square Theatre's nightclub setting. He also invites one lucky person to dance with him for an unforgettable moment at the end.
• Magic shows: Ongoing magic shows like Jamie Allan's Amaze and Steve Cohen's Chamber Magic involve audience volunteers for mind-reading and trickery. Presto chango! They turn spectators into participants.
• Magic Mike Live: Inspired by the hit movies about male strippers strutting — and shedding — their stuff, the show co-created and -directed by Channing Tatum whips dance, acrobatics, and cheeky frisky business into a high-energy spectacle. Beginning October 8, the production is expected to be a wild party with ample opportunities for willing volunteers to interact with the performers.

No — immersive shows go a step further, placing audiences inside a constructed world where the action envelops them the whole time. Spectators often move from scene to scene through the venue, choose where and on whom to focus, and experience scenes in different ways. The goal is deep, bespoke, 360-degree immersion into a story rather than direct influence over what happens in it. Here are a few examples of recent immersive shows in NYC:

• Masquerade: Currently running on W. 57th Street, this show reimagines Andrew Lloyd Webber’s megamusical The Phantom of the Opera as a multi‑floor immersive experience. It situates masked guests inside the Paris Opera House, where they walk through the story of the mysterious Phantom, the opera ingenue Christine, and their dangerous, obsessive love.
• Sleep No More: This immersive show inspired by Macbeth dropped masked theatregoers into the multi-level McKittrick Hotel, where they explored various rooms and scenes as they desired. The show ran off Broadway for more than 13 years before ultimately closing in 2025.
• Here Lies Love: David Byrne and Fat Boy Slim’s biomusical about Imelda Marcos turned the Broadway Theatre into a cavernous, gleaming disco ballroom for nearly six months in 2023. Audience members on the dance floor stood within the action and moved as platforms shifted. Even those in more traditional mezzanine seats were prompted to dance, clap, and respond, creating a club-like, participatory environment on all sides.