S2 Episode 1
How did theatre evolve from exclusive, elite entertainment into a truly public, participatory art form? Why do modern audiences crave experiences that go beyond observation to full immersion and what does that say about society, technology, and the future of storytelling?
To mark the 50th anniversary of London’s National Theatre, Sarah Dowd sits down with Fiona Porritt, Senior Creative Producer at Les Enfants Terribles, the innovative company behind spectacular immersive productions like Alice’s Adventures Underground and United Queendom. Together, they trace the arc from 18th-century riotous audiences, political spectacle, and morally contested playhouses to contemporary immersive theatre where the audience becomes part of the action.
Highlights:
00:00 From Garrick and Sheridan to mass spectacle: theatre’s transformation
01:44 Audiences as agitators: riots, protest, and who culture belongs to
03:10 The rise of immersive and participatory performance
05:28 Inspired by school panto and the opening ceremony of the Olympics
09:23 Discovering and and working with Les Enfants Terribles
13:30 Why audiences crave participation
15:46 What actually makes theatre “immersive”?
20:04 Breaking the social contract in theatre
21:30 “Tricking” new audiences into theatre and making it more accessible
24:00 Olivier Awards and fitting immersive shows into old frameworks
26:17 How Edinburgh Fringe, music halls, and found spaces paved the way
28:58 Romeo in a bombed-out library
29:22 Can immersive theatre make history feel real and accessible?
36:35 Why “serious” history isn’t always serious
46:58 Inside Pussy Riot: immersive and political storytelling
52:42 Can immersive theatre be “fun” and hard-hitting at the same time?
57:47 The paradox of spoilers in a digital age of oversharing
60:23 We’re all performers now:
62:05 Why the way we connect onstage and off, matters more than ever.
About Fiona Porritt:
Fiona is a creator of imaginative and immersive worlds. As Senior Creative Producer at Les Enfants Terribles known for its striking visual aesthetic and innovative use of props, puppetry and live music she has spent over twelve years pushing the boundaries of storytelling and audience experience. Her credits span theatre and brand experiences alike, including The House with Chicken Legs, The Trench, Inside Pussy Riot and bespoke commissions for PlayStation, Ikea and Kraken Rum.
Fiona is currently producing Die Hunnenkönigin for the Nibelungen Festival in Germany and the remount of Olivier Award-nominated Alice’s Adventures Underground.
About Sarah Dowd:
I’m Sarah Dowd – writer, speaker, heritage and arts consultant, producer, and all-around nerd – here to share the stories of our past that make us laugh, gasp, and mutter: It’s History… For F***k’s Sake.
For 25+ years I’ve created immersive, inclusive experiences that bring history alive, from rallying Second World War convoys through London to staging performances between Pearly Kings and Gen Z creatives. My work spans museums, cathedral crypts, pop-up theatres, global brands, and community projects across the UK and beyond.
As a Canadian living between the UK and France (with a late ADHD diagnosis that fuels my curiosity and creativity), I zigzag through culture, history, and big ideas, but never boring ones.
Every week on HistoryFFS, we explore how history echoes through today, make sure you are following the show so you don’t miss an episode.
Connect with Sarah:
Website:www.historyffs.com
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahdowd/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/historyffs-pod/
Substack: @historyffs
YouTube: @HistoryFFSPod
Instagram: @historyFFSPod
TikTok: @historyffspod
Bluesky: @historyffs.bsky.social
What connects the myth-busting boulder chases of Indiana Jones, revolutionary political ferment, and the mud-splattered rise of modern archaeology? In this episode of History for F**k’s Sake host Sarah Dowd sits down with Professor Dominic Tweddle, British archaeologist, museum leader, and expert in material culture for an honest, engaging journey through the origins, controversies, and future of digging up history.
From the Enlightenment’s curiosity-fuelled societies to the birth of systematic fieldwork, we explore how “holes in the ground” became battlegrounds for cultural meaning, power, and academic integrity. The episode traces archaeology’s evolution from treasure hunting and grave robbing, through the foundations of research and recording, into the revolutionary impact of pop culture (hello, Raiders of the Lost Ark) and immersive museum experiences like the Jorvik Viking Centre.
Whether you’re a history buff, a museum geek, or just want to know why a Viking street in York was a game-changer, this is essential listening for anyone curious about who gets to control the narrative of the past and how.
About Professor Dominic Tweddle, BA, PhD, FSA, FSA Scot, MCIfA:
Dominic began his career as an archaeologist and historian at the British Museum before joining the York Archaeological Trust, where he was Assistant Director. He is a noted Anglo-Saxon and Viking specialist. In York, Dominic was a key member of the team that developed the ground-breaking Jorvik Viking Centre.
From there, he developed his own successful business, which designed, built, owned, and operated visitor attractions in the cultural heritage field across the globe. In 2008, Dominic sold his shares in the business.
He was appointed the first Director General of the new National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN) in 2009. In that role, he merged the four existing museums into a coherent whole and, through twelve mergers or acquisitions, brought eight historic warships, including HMS Victory, into the group. He built the turnover of the business from £6.5 million to £24 million a year and attracted £180 million in investment. Dominic retired in late 2023.
He is currently Chairman of the Maritime Archaeology Sea Trust, the leading UK charity working in the protection of underwater heritage, and is also writing a book on the Spanish Armada. Dominic has written seven other books, five of them major academic works, and two children’s books. One, Growing Up in Viking Times, became a slightly unexpected bestseller