Towards Elucidating Psychological Arousal in Response to Music Theatre

Abstract

This thesis explores the psychological effects of observing experimental music theatre performance video recording. Experiencing music theatre can evoke a range of aesthetic and psychological emotions in audiences. These include joy, sadness, fear, unease, excitement, and empathy. Immersion in stories and characters can lead to temporary shifts in mood, perception, and relationships with the artwork. Watching experimental performance can activate areas of the brain associated with reward and emotion and in some cases, memory formation. These neural responses contribute to a sense of enjoyment, distress, and personal growth. The psychological impact of music theatre can be argued to extend beyond any single performance and shape how audiences interpret and respond to the world around them. By considering theatrical elements, and synthesising them with music, music theatre is a uniquely powerful medium for influencing the mind and shaping human psychology. Music Theatre productions create a sense of discovery and challenge assumptions about what is possible within the art form. By incorporating avant-garde technique, intermediality, and unconventional spaces, and often using complex musical language, music theatre can be perceptively alienating to some observers. This exposure to abstract and ambiguous performance activates cognitive processes as audiences work to make meaning from them. This leads to a heightened sense of engagement and generating confusion, frustration, or discomfort. Overall, this thesis demonstrates that music theatre produces profound and lasting psychological effects on audiences. This leads to wider discussions around philosophy, art, and culture and how composers can galvanise music theatre work for future audiences.