On Rigour in Theatre Audience Research

Abstract

Researching theatre audiences using empirical methodologies is not a neutral act.Any attempt to capture evidence of how audiences engage with and value culture is inherently problematic.This article argues that while it is possible (even desirable) to capture information about the varying ways diverse spectators find meaning and value in their performance encounters, it is also necessary to be critical about the kinds of knowledge that discursive audience research is able to produce.Media and cultural studies scholars have for decades been grappling with the epistemological, ethical, and methodological implications of capturing qualitative indicators of experience.Rather than a positivistic pursuit of objective 'truth', audience research can more usefully be understood as a process of interpretation.By bringing the distinct field of 'audience studies' into conversation with theatre and performance studies, this article hopes to facilitate a move toward more rigorous audience research.