ABSTRACT
Most outdoor shows have some form of audience participation, either by having a volunteer ‘onstage’ or by getting the audience to respond vocally in some way. However, there are a small number of groups and solos who use audience interaction not just for part of the show but as the main act itself. The aim of these animators is to play a game with the audience. They may do this ‘onstage’ with individuals or with up to six or seven volunteers play-acting under instruction. The other way to do it is to involve the entire audience in the game, which is what usually happens when they are led on a journey. In both cases they enter into the contract of ‘Let’s pretend’. The animators may be part of the action, as is usually the case on journeys, or they may simply direct the action.
