Participatory theatre is often used with very young audiences, allowing babies and toddlers to join in with the action.
[1] Despite a long history and traditions of audience participation within genres such as music hall and pantomime, fully participatory theatre is still sometimes viewed as avant-garde.
In a typical participatory production, performers may socialise with audience members before the show while seating them, then surprise these spectators by inviting them to the stage.
Audience members may be given dialogue to read (as written text, or via an earpiece in some cases).
Classroom and lecture exercises often include participatory elements, though are not usually considered theatre.