The Fragmented Writing of Immersive Theatre: A case study of Sleep No More, Shanghai version

Abstract

Under the influence of postmodernism, the interpretation of fragmentation has become an important issue in the research horizon of Western scholars, who believe that modern culture has the aesthetic characteristic of "fragmentation" - a state of disconnection, alienation, and flatness. An immersive theatre is a new form of theatre under this influence, and Sleep No More is a representative example of this. Sleep No More is a 'fragmented' piece of theatre in terms of textual content, form, and connotation, and it overturns the original aesthetic concept. In terms of textual content, it promotes the f fragmented presentation of narrative; in terms of interaction, it allows the audience to piece together a holistic perception of the play through immersive interaction; in terms of ideational content, it has a fragmented yet rich ideational space due to the unique experience of each person. The 'fragmented' writing of Sleep No More reflects the overall ecology of immersive theatre and is a visual manifestation of the cultural turn of modern society. The innovative development of theatre art is closely related to the changes of the times and adapts to the consumer intentions and aesthetic tendencies of popular culture in the current era.