Phase 4. Performance & Launch.

"With a live, physical performance,

you have the audience’s attention for

the duration of the show. With a digital

or hybrid piece, you’re competing

with everything else in their lives."

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The Performance phase is all about meeting your audience. Live and in person theatre performances are kept ‘fresh’ during their run by altering subtly in response to the different audiences at each performance. Digital projects can be just as dynamic, adapting in real-time to audience interactions, current events, and cultural conversations. This flexibility creates opportunities for deeper engagement and richer storytelling.

Investing in audience measurement allows you to track responses and make informed adjustments.

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Even with extensive testing in the Production phase (Phase 3), real audience behaviour will still bring surprises. Having the ability to refine the work based on audience input can enhance the experience and strengthen connections. Beyond the immediate project, measurement also provides valuable insights for future work, helping inform creative decisions, audience strategies, and funding conversations. Documenting how audiences engage - what draws them in, what holds their attention, and what they share can create a foundation for stronger, more impactful hybrid projects in the future.

Focus of this phase.

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  • Showing / launching the work.
  • PR & Marketing the live and the digital work
    in traditional press, social media, targeted communications and online communities.
  • Audience measurement
  • Flexible adaptation
    of live and/or digital work.

Yara’s Wedding, an interdisciplinary (almost) musical by Guy Weizman, NITE, and Schauspiel Hannover.

  1. LAUNCH AND PROMOTE
    The launch is another moment where responsibilities might shift. Does the originating artistic team or members of the digital core-team suggest, decide or make any alterations during the course of the run. Have another decision making protocol in place post-launch.‍
  2. CREATING AUDIENCE TRACTION
    Cross-pollinating the marketing of live performance with the promotion of the digital elements. Creating ‘pull-throughs’ from one to the other by making the digital pats discoverable for the theater audience and creating interest in the theatre show with the digital audiences.‍
  3. MEASUREMENT
    what do you need to know and how are you going to measure it? Focus on actionable data - what patterns can inform immediate improvements or future projects?
  4. THIS IS A CYCLE PROCESS
    You can keep learning, evaluating and adapting incorporating experience and feedback - moving in a loop until the desired result is achieved.
  • How are audiences actually engaging with the work?
    Are they interacting as expected, or are new patterns emerging that we hadn’t anticipated?‍
  • What is surprising or unexpected in audience behavior?
    Are there insights from audience reactions, digital engagement, or live performance feedback that should inform future adjustments?‍
  • Are we adapting effectively without losing stability?
    Have we defined the right balance between iteration and artistic/ technical integrity, ensuring that changes improve rather than dilute the work?‍
  • Are we leveraging PR and marketing to their fullest potential?Are we reaching new audiences through targeted communications, social media, and digital outreach, or do we need to adjust our strategy?
  • ‍What is the best way to capture and share audience insights?Who is responsible for translating engagement data into actionable knowledge for future projects, funding applications, or marketing efforts?‍
  • What artistic and technical learnings should be captured for future work?
    How do we ensure that insights from this phase contribute to stronger hybrid projects in the future?

Unpredictable audience engagement

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Misaligned live and digital elements

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Excessive iterations

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Collecting too much data

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Unsustainable audience momentum

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  • Audience engagement is unpredictable
    Even with extensive planning, real audiences will interact with the work in unexpected ways. A strategy is needed for adapting in real time without derailing the project.
  • Keeping live and digital elements aligned
    Hybrid projects can become fragmented, with separate live and digital experiences rather than a cohesive whole. Strong communication and clear pathways between types of experience are essential.
  • Balancing iteration with stability
    The ability to update and adapt is a strength, but constant tweaking can cause confusion or disrupt artistic integrity. Defining a set number of iterations helps manage this tension.‍
  • Effective measurement without overload
    ‍    Collecting too much data can create information without insight. Teams must focus on measurable, actionable audience behaviors rather than tracking everything.
  • Sustaining audience momentum
    Interest can fade quickly if there’s no plan for ongoing engagement beyond the initial launch. Building audience retention strategies, such as opt-ins, extended content, or community interactions, helps maintain momentum.
  1. Live and digital experience‍
  2. Define measurables
  3. Real-time adaptations
  4. Live tools & methods
  5. Post-launch decision making

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  • Design audience pathways between live and digital
    Ensure audiences can easily move between live and digital experiences. This could mean clear signposting, exclusive digital content for in-person attendees, or interactive elements that deepen engagement across formats.
  • Measure what matters (don’t track everything)
    Define clear measurement goals. Do you need demographic insights, audience drop-off points, or engagement patterns? Avoid an overwhelming "measure everything" approach that generates noise instead of useful insights.
  • Embed real-time responsiveness into the project
    Plan for live adaptations, whether through digital updates, post-show discussions, or interactive content that reflects audience feedback or current events. Flexibility is an artistic tool, not just a logistical challenge.
  • Use digital tools and methods to extend participation opportunities
    Consider live-streamed Q&As, behind-the-scenes content, or audience-generated responses as ways to sustain engagement beyond the performance itself. Give audiences ways to contribute, not just consume.
  • Clarify decision-making roles post-launch
    Once the work is live, determine who has the authority to make iterative changes, whether artistic, technical, or marketing-related. Set up a clear decision-making structure so adaptations are strategic and thoughtful, rather than reactive.
  • The audience
    in this period we want to make sure we hear from them.
  • The people who are staffing the interaction with the audience
    this role could be fulfilled by the artists, by the digital core team, the marketing or outreach team or an additional post).
  • Any departments that can help design pathways to your audience
    PR & Marketing outreach and/or education teams.
  • The artists and their creative and technical team
    being available for press and pr and/or ongoing development and responsiveness and/or gathering the measurement and data available to them.
  • The digital core team
    artistic and production working closely with the artists to make sure that each project element delivers and develops. and/or gathering the measurement and data available to them.
  • The technology partners
    iterating the digital framework and/or gathering the measurement and data available to them.
  • Data interpretation
    the data needs to be ‘read’ and transformed in an understandable narrative. This role could be taken on by the digital core team, the technology partner or an additional post.
  • The executive team of the theatre or theatre company
    and any of the departments who might play a key role in the wider project and/or key external advisors are kept informed and can be called upon in key decision making processes.