Relaxed Performances – Why are we still living in the past?

Never heard of a “Relaxed Performance”? Well, our author Lucie hasn’t either, until she experienced theatre in Ireland. We asked playwright and actress Jody O’Neill how a neurodivergent approach to performances looks like and how ableism is part of a conservative theatre etiquette.

© Design by Alexandra Timofeeva

I came across the concept of Relaxed Performances by chance. Pouring rain outside, I stepped inside the Cork Arts Theatre in Ireland, as I had booked tickets for Eurydice. This was my first Irish theatre experience starting my semester abroad. In the foyer, the theatre offered multiple things: Earplugs, candy-lollies and a low-lit room with cozy seating along with toys for hand-fidgeting.

When everybody settled in their seats there was an announcement: “This is a Relaxed Performance.” I have never heard of this concept in German speaking theatre. The presenter on stage continued: The lights in the audience will stay on, there will always be a possibility to leave the room, and actors will be aware that this might happen. Then the actors introduced themselves and the character(s) they play. They indicate that there will be warnings before loud noises or visual triggers occur in the performance. For instance, in Eurydice there was an actor who put on headphones prior to loud noises coming up.

The Idea and the Purpose

The concept is created for performances in cinemas or theatres and originated approximately in the 90s. Relaxed Performances provide less overstimulating factors, especially for autistic people or similar neurodivergent people. They provide calm spaces and reduce sensory overload, like sweets that stimulate the tasting sense, or fidgeting devices to help people with stimming.

I became even more immersed in the topic through my studies at the University College Cork (UCC) theatre department. There, I studied the play What I (Don’t) Know About Autism (2021) “that was designed as a relaxed performance from the outset rather than just having 1 or 2 relaxed performances over the course of the run,” playwright and actress Jody O’Neill recounted in our interview.

Interestingly, her play was also the first ever Relaxed Performance on the national Irish theatre’s stage of the Abbey Theatre in Dublin. But why are Relaxed Performances apparently more discussed in Ireland and anglophone theatres but have rarely been touched upon in German speaking theatres?

Searching for Austrian or generally German speaking theatres that host Relaxed Performances, the outcome was sparse: One of the few is the Raimund Theatre in Vienna. The theatre shows one Relaxed Performance of the “Phantom der Oper” together with the Austrian autistic help. Another example of Relaxed Performances is Afterlives by Henrike Iglesias & Miss Theatre at Sophiensaele in Berlin. This play about queer experience consist of a team like brut Wien or media partners like Missy Magazine and can be associated with a queer-feminist focus that is aware of neurodivergence. Thus, Relaxed Performance could be seen as having found its corner in a more awareness-oriented theatre and performance space. Relaxed Performances seem to be tied to a niche or certain specially designed plays that already engage with neurodivergence topics like in What I (don’t) Know About Autism. Both Irish and German theatre seem to have difficulties with providing Relaxed Performances on a regular basis in the programme.

Afraid of change?

The traditional big theatre houses might be afraid to scare away their established, maybe conservative audience. The majority of it seems to enjoy theatre as it is, so why make it a more accessible experience? O’Neill being autistic herself and exploring Relaxed Performances over the years clarifies that

“the core within the performance [is] taking away the invisible rules about theatre etiquette and breaking down the perceived distance between performances and audience to humanise the experience.”

Being afraid of a humanised experience, an awareness of neurodiversity and disability of people in our society cannot be a reason to hesitate to establish Relaxed Performances. It is practically being afraid of change. And isn’t that what theatre boldly claims to be? A mirror of societal debates and a reflection of discourse? Jody O’Neill precisely captures the situation from the perspective of Irish theatre: “In general, we are still too caught up with the relatively recent notion of theatre being this kind of hallowed space where we have to behave in accordance with certain rules, but if we are to continue to build audiences for the future we need to let go of that preciousness and allow the audience to be themselves and take more ownership of their experience.”

Theatre for a particular audience?

Change theatre for the purpose of the few? One might argue that theatre shouldn’t adapt to a specific audience. But isn’t it doing exactly that, always? The Touretteshero Project offers an explanation if no neurodivergent person shows up: “It doesn’t matter! Firstly, the reason why someone wants to go to a relaxed performance will not always be obvious, nor should it have to be. Secondly, just by having a relaxed performance you’re exposing more people to the concept.” Anything else is simply ableist.

Now, being convinced to implement Relaxed Performances in the programme questions might arise from the perspective of the theatre production. What changes for the actors on stage, the production team? O’Neill is working with actors as well as being an actress herself and is convinced that actors could be nervous about the idea of a Relaxed Performance “but once they are well-prepared, it’s generally not an issue.” After all, “it becomes a really rich and rewarding experience.”

Conventions of the past

Considering that information and guidance is available, theatres must make Relaxed Performances (especially the bigger theatre houses!) more common in German speaking theatre as it simply makes theatre more accessible for everyone. Ultimately, what more can a theatre want than to provide an evening, where more people in the audience feel comfortable? And to create a space that is free from the conventions of a conservative theatre from the past?

In Ireland Relaxed Performances have been welcomed by audiences and thus the occurrence of changing the performances for this purpose have increased. O’Neill observes there being more Relaxed Performances in Ireland as to when she began her explorations (around 2018). This development can be taken as a prospect of what German speaking theatre’s future could also look like - if they only want to.