Bright stage lights, loud music, scuffling through dark aisles to get to your seats: for anyone who has ever been to the theatre, this experience may sound familiar. For a standard theatre show, runtimes are usually at least 90 minutes, perhaps with one intermission, and, in most cases, there is a closed-door policy and no-talking etiquette. For some, these parameters can be unsuitable and exclusionary.
In this article:
Relaxed performances are an inclusivity tool that restructure the standard theatre experience into a space that can include more audiences and increase accessibility. These altered performances can be included in a production’s show run, with the performance making adjustments to relax the experience for patrons.
What is a relaxed performance?
Some relaxed performances can include :
- theatre doors remaining open for the duration of the show
- house lights remaining on
- reduction of bright or intense stage lighting
- reduction of loud auditory elements or elimination of specific sounds
- elimination of the use of scent or other strong aromas
- a relaxed attitude toward audiences, allowing for stimming devices, noise and movement, and
- pre-show resources like Visual Stories (AKA Social Stories) for those who wish to familiarise themselves with the performance’s content or theatre arrangements prior to the viewing.
Adjustments like these can help lessen the rigidity and intensity that people with autism, learning disabilities or dementia, sensory sensitivities or anxiety may experience in a standard viewing. Relaxed performances elevate theatre accessibility for all, providing benefits for pregnant people or others who may need to use the bathroom urgently, and those who wish to bring children (who are perhaps less prone to sitting silently through a two-and-a-half-hour production).
Read: Talking about access should be part of every day…
Former theatre critic, Carla Donnelly, is Autistic and advocates for the wide access that relaxed performances offer.
“When we think about relaxed performances, people think about neurodivergent people, or people want[ing] to bring children to the theatre, but a relaxed performance caters to a whole bunch of different kinds of people,” Donnelly says. “People who are on medication, who need to use the bathroom quite frequently or just need to get up and stretch their legs. It makes the arts much more accessible for everybody.”
Putting it into practice
The back end of integrating relaxed performances, like any adaptation, requires the availability of resources. For example, these shows may need alterations to visual and auditory elements like lights and sounds, which may require extra rehearsals. There may be other resources needed including the age-old standards: time and money.
Many productions come and go without including a relaxed performance and some theatres are not planning to host any this year. Melbourne’s Malthouse Theatre occasionally runs relaxed performances where and when resources allow. Senior Producer, Annie Bourke, speaks on the determining factors.
“The frequency with which we are able to deliver relaxed performances as part of our mainstage season is determined by organisational resources, nature of the work and audience demand,” Bourke says. “While we haven’t seen a large number of audience members taking up the option of attending a relaxed performance, the feedback from patrons has been anecdotally positive.”
Like many organisations, Malthouse Theatre publishes Access Packs for all productions throughout its annual season. These include pre-show materials designed to prepare and aid those who experience anxiety or have sensory sensitivities. The packs offer information about the venue as well as the production’s content and sensory effects, as opposed to there being an adjustment to the production itself.
“We see [relaxed performances] as an important access point for audiences; however, we don’t currently have the resources to develop and deliver a long-term community engagement strategy to ensure it is a viable performance within the schedule,” Bourke says.
Read: Mona Foma – working to increase accessibility
Access Fringe Program Manager, Milly Cooper, provides insight into how relaxed performances are organised and received at Melbourne Fringe.
“Every artist is responsible for organising their own relaxed performance. The number of relaxed performances therefore is entirely dependent on how each artist/team decides how they’d like to orchestrate them,” Cooper says.
Fringe’s relaxed performance sales numbers from previous years reveal a successful history.
“From the data we’ve gleaned, it’s clear that audiences do take up the option. Some stats from 2024 are that in an example of 11 shows presenting at the [Melbourne Fringe] Hub, seven of these sold better on average than other shows in their season,” Cooper says.
Writer/producer Georgia Ketels included both an Auslan interpreted performance and a relaxed performance version in the show run for her first ever theatre production, Recollection at fortyfivedownstairs last year. Her production involved eliminating the scent that was originally used in the show, offering audiences the opportunity to opt in to smell it post-show instead.
“Our team were all enthusiastic about offering a relaxed performance; however, it’s worth noting that there’s some extra work involved. Making changes to a show requires work from most departments and, in independent theatre especially, there is never enough time,” Ketels says.
The future for relaxed performances
Accessibility has been a point of focus in Australian arts over the past few years, resulting in the rise of inclusivity tools such as the incorporation of audio descriptions for the visually impaired, Auslan interpreted performances, wheelchair access, pre-show stories, sensory ratings and information in theatres.
With first-hand experience, ex-critic Donnelly believes that relaxed performances are a vital element of accessibility that should be given priority in the future of the arts.
“Malthouse and Melbourne Theatre Company in particular have done a fantastic job with catering for lots of other kinds of disability. I think a minimum of one [relaxed performance] or on par with other accessibility options that they provide [is ideal]. My partner really wants to attend, but only relaxed performances are accessible to him. And to say that it’s so thin on the ground is really disappointing,” Donnelly says.
Beyond theatre, more arts industries are jumping on board to incorporate relaxed performances, including major music companies like the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO). For the 2025 show run for A Reflection in Time, a relaxed performance is headed for main stage at Hamer Hall in June.
Principal Conductor and Artistic Adviser of Learning and Engagement, Benjamin Northey, describes MSO’s stance.
“We’re committed to ensuring as many people as possible are given the chance to experience the incredible music of a symphony orchestra,” Northey says in a media release.
Similarly, Melbourne Fringe’s Cooper explains her big picture view of relaxed performances. Fringe also offers Low Sensory performances and intends to host special or additional relaxed performances in a Saturday afternoon series that spans the entire festival, with a information session on the initiative planned for May.
“Creating different access points into an experience has the potential to empower individuals and connect a broader range of audience to the work. They’re not a must for many, but I think one day they will be,” concludes Cooper.
A relaxed performance of A Reflection in Time by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will be at Hamer Hall in Melbourne on Friday 13 June 2025.
