Forum Theatre
Forum Theatre technique always starts with a scripted scenario, in exactly the same way that Staged Scenario and Sliding Doors techniques do.The key difference here is that on reaching the first critical branching point in the story, the audience can decide how the action continues, but is not restricted to a pre-determined number of options.
Therefore Forum Theatre has the ability to ebb and flow exactly as directed by the audience to explore different aspects of the issue.
It might be viewed as a performed group version of Role Play, where the majority of the action is played as if for real, but with pauses for refocusing on whatever issue the audience requires.
Where people are not really ready to be able to address issues directly themselves (as in the use of Role Play or Characterisation techniques), and they perhaps feel they need to be a little more remote such as being a member of an audience, Forum Theatre can be a very effective way to engage them fully.
Most of the key issues within organisations can be illustrated using this technique.
