Informal spaces
Studio theatre
A studio is a smaller, more intimate performance space. In a school or college, it may well be a classroom, adapted by the installation of a simple lighting rig and curtains. You can erect free standing flats to allow for entrances and exits and this will mean that you can use the space effectively. If the studio isn鈥檛 too tiny, using levels is likely to be effective and will improve sight lines for the audience.
Promenade theatre
Promenade theatre is when the audience move from place to place during the performance. This is a popular device used by various modern practitioners. A well-known example would be National Theatre Wales's production of The Passion which took place in several locations across the Welsh town of Port Talbot.
Open-air theatre and Street theatre
Open-air and street performances are usually more informal and can also involve the audience. You can have staging but the actors may just choose to use the open space to interact with their audience. Open-air performances are particularly popular in spaces such as public parks and gardens, and castle grounds.
Think of a production you鈥檝e seen recently. Can you identify the staging form used? Are there any productions you've seen that could work in other staging forms and if so why? Think about how changing the staging form would change the audience's experience of the production.