Abbie Trott

Dr. Abbie Trott is a Lecturer in the School of Communication and Arts at The University of Queensland (UQ), part of the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. She holds a PhD in Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies from the University of Melbourne and an MPhil from UQ. Additionally, she serves as a Research Fellow at Deakin University on a project examining audience diversity and organizational change in Australian arts institutions. Her research focuses on postdigital theatre, audience engagement, and multimedia performance, with a particular interest in digital bodies, youth audiences, and the intersection of technology and performance.

Education:

• PhD, Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies (University of Melbourne, 2022)
• MPhil, Multimedia Performance (University of Queensland, 2016)

Research Interests:

Trott’s work interrogates how digital media shapes contemporary theatre practices and audience experiences. Her studies explore audience diversity in arts organizations, co-presence in multimedia performances, and the dramaturgical impacts of technology. She employs participatory methodologies, such as action research with young audiences, to understand reception dynamics in postdigital contexts.

Publications:

Her recent articles analyze audience attitudes in Australian arts organizations, the role of smartphones in performance narratives, and the evolution of plays in the media age. Her reviews engage critically with contemporary theories of dramaturgy and mediatized performance.

Professional Roles:

• Board Member, Australasian Association for Theatre, Drama and Performance Studies
• Member, International Federation of Theatre Research
• Teaching Associate in Digital Media at UQ

Labs/Teams:

She collaborates with Deakin University on research addressing audience diversity and institutional adaptation in arts sectors.