Zooming in on virtual theater

Online community

It is possible that technical issues, such as the time lag between actors, or actors and audiences, will rectified when 5G is used more widely. But that won't stop audience of online theater from missing out on the joy of watching a live show as part of a collective, and in a shared space.

However, online theater can contain elements of a collective experience. For instance, in a livestreamed performance, the cast and audience need to go online at the same time.

"I believe that watching livestreams is still a communal experience," says Tisa Ho, the executive director of Hong Kong Arts Festival. "Plus, whether there's social isolation or not, (watching) art has always been, and will always be, an intensely personal experience between the art and the individual."