Virtual reality is increasingly being used in theatre to explore new forms of scenography and performance. Early applications focused on virtual scenographies integrated into real-world settings, as in Event Horizon (2012) by Alkamie Theatre in London, or Theatre for One: Romeo and Juliet (2017), performed at the Institute of Mechanical Intelligence in Pisa. These hybrid experiences combined physical presence with immersive digital environments.

One of the first documented uses of VR in acting was the non-immersive experiment Acting in Virtual Reality (2000) at University College London, where actors performed within virtual spaces viewed on screens. This laid the foundation for more immersive projects, such as The Beaming Project (2010–2013), a collaboration between UCL, Scuola Sant’Anna, and others. In this project, remote directors were virtually “beamed” into a digital rehearsal stage shared with avatar-actors, while spectators followed the event via web browsers.

A mixed reality version of The Beaming Project extended the experience by placing a remote participant into a robot body located in a physical theatre space, allowing interaction with real actors. This integration of real and virtual presence exemplified new models of performance.

More recent immersive examples include TheatreVR (2019) by Jan Gruncl, where users could act together with scripted virtual actors in a scene from the Hamlet; Uncanny Alley: A New Day (2024) by Ferryman Collective, where the audience is immersed within the performance and can engage in conversations with the actors or other audience; A Christmas Carol VR (2024) by Agile Lens, where actors give life to virtual characters in real time, allowing the audience to live the experience directly from home with VR headsets; Electrotheater (2022) by Staatstheater Augsburg further explored co-presence in VR, enabling shared experiences within digitally constructed theatrical spaces.