Here is the list of 110 IB Theatre Extended Essay research questions, all crafted to meet IB EE criteria — focused, analytical, and grounded in theatrical practice, performance, theory, or production.

Our team of expert IB extended essay writers has decided that questions will be splited into:

• ✅ 25 Simple but Interesting
• ✅ 25 Unique and Not Overused
• ✅ 25 Complex and Challenging
• ✅ 25 Current and Up-to-Date
• ✅ 10 Fun and Unusual

Each question should enable students to explore a particular play, practitioner, technique, or cultural tradition, ideally through critical performance analysis, reviews, production notes, or firsthand accounts.

They must be evaluative, theory-informed, and demonstrate personal engagement with theatre as a discipline.

🟩 25 Simple but Interesting Theatre Extended Essay Topics

(accessible, clear theatrical focus, great for student-performed or well-documented plays)

1. To what extent does Stanislavski’s system support realistic acting in A Streetcar Named Desire?
2. How effectively does stage lighting influence audience perception in The Crucible?
3. In what ways does physical theatre enhance emotional expression in The Caucasian Chalk Circle?
4. To what extent does costume design in A Midsummer Night’s Dream reflect character transformation?
5. How does Brecht’s use of alienation techniques challenge audience empathy in Mother Courage?
6. How does the use of monologue affect character development in Shirley Valentine?
7. How does stage combat contribute to the dramatic tension in Macbeth?
8. In what ways do mask techniques influence performance in Commedia dell’Arte revivals?
9. How is gender identity explored through doubling in Twelfth Night?
10. How does the use of space in black box theatre affect audience immersion in Waiting for Godot?
11. To what extent does sound design evoke mood in The Woman in Black?
12. How does the chorus function as a narrative tool in Antigone?
13. To what extent does lighting symbolism enhance thematic depth in Death of a Salesman?
14. How does the character of Joan evolve through performance in Saint Joan by George Bernard Shaw?
15. How does clowning technique shape audience engagement in The Servant of Two Masters?
16. To what extent is realism essential to a successful production of An Inspector Calls?
17. How do puppetry techniques affect storytelling in War Horse?
18. How is tragedy achieved through minimalism in Krapp’s Last Tape?
19. How does ensemble acting drive the narrative in The Laramie Project?
20. How does mise-en-scène reinforce themes of isolation in The Glass Menagerie?
21. To what extent does the actor–audience relationship influence a performance of The Tempest?
22. How does site-specific performance affect meaning in Romeo and Juliet?
23. How do character archetypes function in traditional Noh theatre?
24. To what extent does the set design shape spatial dynamics in Les Misérables?
25. How does voice modulation affect the portrayal of power in Julius Caesar?

🟦 25 Unique and Not Overused Theatre EE Questions

(unusual plays, global practices, niche approaches)

26. How does Kathakali use gesture to convey epic narrative without dialogue?
27. How does traditional Wayang Kulit (Indonesian shadow puppetry) represent moral dilemmas?
28. To what extent does Butoh dance-theatre embody trauma in post-war Japanese performance?
29. How does the use of ritual elements in Yoruba theatre preserve cultural identity?
30. In what ways does the choreography in Tanztheater performances challenge narrative structure?
31. How does Teatro Campesino reflect Chicano identity through stylized performance?
32. How does Polish Laboratory Theatre reinterpret Shakespeare through Jerzy Grotowski’s actor training?
33. To what extent does drag performance function as political theatre?
34. How does Bharatanatyam convey character psychology through facial expression?
35. How does Taiwanese glove puppetry adapt to contemporary social commentary?
36. How do immersive theatre productions like Sleep No More redefine audience agency?
37. To what extent does gender performance in kabuki reinforce or subvert traditional norms?
38. How does disability-inclusive casting alter perceptions of character in Richard III?
39. How does devised theatre allow for authentic storytelling in marginalized communities?
40. How do Māori haka performances function as living theatre?
41. To what extent does radio drama sustain theatrical conventions without visual elements?
42. How do satire and musical parody intersect in Forbidden Broadway?
43. How is horror constructed theatrically in Ghost Stories?
44. How does One Man, Two Guvnors use slapstick to reinvent Commedia conventions?
45. How does site-responsive theatre use location as narrative in historic war sites?
46. To what extent does Playback Theatre provide therapeutic value through spontaneous reenactment?
47. How does Verbatim Theatre preserve authenticity in portraying public tragedies?
48. How does immersive horror theatre differ from conventional suspense theatre in audience experience?
49. In what ways does clowning in hospitals resemble theatrical performance?
50. To what extent do national folk dances act as narrative performance in theatre festivals?

🟥 25 IB Theatre EE Complex and Challenging Questions

(theory-based, abstract, or highly evaluative)

51. How does Peter Brook’s concept of the “empty space” challenge traditional scenic design?
52. To what extent does Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed empower spectators as agents of change?
53. How does Artaud’s Theatre of Cruelty provoke visceral audience response?
54. In what ways does Brecht’s epic theatre resist catharsis and why?
55. To what extent is the fourth wall essential to immersive theatrical experiences?
56. How does the semiotics of performance affect interpretation in postmodern theatre?
57. Can postdramatic theatre eliminate narrative and remain accessible to audiences?
58. How does physical embodiment of text enhance performance of abstract drama?
59. To what extent is ritual indistinguishable from performance in anthropological theories of theatre?
60. How does political satire in modern performance adapt Aristophanic techniques?
61. How does Lecoq’s movement pedagogy cultivate ensemble awareness?
62. To what extent does Richard Schechner’s performance theory redefine actor–audience boundaries?
63. How does rhythm and repetition function as dramaturgy in Beckett’s Endgame?
64. How do postcolonial adaptations of The Tempest reframe Prospero’s authority?
65. How does scenography act as an independent narrative agent in experimental theatre?
66. How does time compression challenge traditional realism in modernist theatre?
67. To what extent is the actor a co-creator of meaning in devised performance?
68. How does puppetry as symbolic gesture operate within contemporary protest theatre?
69. How does the grotesque body function as resistance in avant-garde performance?
70. Can Brechtian alienation techniques coexist with emotionally charged acting?
71. How does immersive theatre problematize consent and power?
72. How do theatre practitioners adapt Aristotle’s Poetics for non-Western narrative forms?
73. How do conflicting semiotic systems create ambiguity in hybrid performance?
74. How does dream logic function as dramaturgical structure in absurdist theatre?
75. To what extent can live-streamed performance be considered theatre?

🟨 25 Current and Up-to-Date Questions for Your Theatre Extended Essay

(modern issues, tech, activism, mental health, identity, pandemics, etc.)

76. How has digital theatre changed staging techniques since the COVID-19 pandemic?
77. How do performances addressing climate change use theatre as activism?
78. How does TikTok theatre reinterpret traditional performance methods for mobile audiences?
79. To what extent does casting trans actors in cisgender roles redefine representation in theatre?
80. How has #MeToo influenced feminist monologue-based theatre in the 2020s?
81. How do BIPOC-led theatre companies reframe canonical Western plays?
82. How does immersive VR theatre affect audience empathy in trauma narratives?
83. To what extent do mental health-themed performances promote emotional literacy in teen audiences?
84. How has digital scenography expanded storytelling possibilities in post-COVID productions?
85. How do contemporary Indigenous playwrights reclaim narrative power through theatre?
86. To what extent do livestreamed performances preserve liveness in global theatre festivals?
87. How do protest performances against racial injustice transform public spaces into stages?
88. How does disability-led performance challenge the aesthetics of perfection in traditional theatre?
89. How does participatory theatre support community healing post-crisis?
90. How do creators of autobiographical solo performances maintain authenticity while engaging audiences?
91. How has the climate crisis influenced festival theatre programming since 2020?
92. How do immersive installations like Then She Fell shift the role of narrative?
93. How is cultural appropriation addressed through contemporary casting choices?
94. How does movement-based therapy intersect with performance in trauma recovery workshops?
95. To what extent does musical theatre respond to Gen Z identity politics?
96. How do student-led productions use theatre as activism in schools?
97. How do AI-generated scripts affect human creative control in experimental theatre?
98. How do COVID-inspired plays reframe illness and isolation on stage?
99. To what extent does devised documentary theatre affect public memory of recent tragedies?
100. How does wearable tech influence choreography and sound in interactive dance theatre?

🟪 10 Fun and Unusual Questions for IB Theatre EE

(playful, creative, still serious in intent and analysis)

101. How does clowning in circus theatre reframe audience expectations of failure and comedy?
102. How is drag theatre a fusion of cabaret, fashion, and political protest?
103. How do flash mobs function as spontaneous theatrical acts in public space?
104. Can murder mystery dinner theatre be considered immersive performance art?
105. How does live-action role play (LARP) blur the boundaries of theatre and gaming?
106. To what extent do escape rooms use theatricality to construct suspense?
107. How does magic and illusion function as dramaturgy in stage shows like The Illusionists?
108. How do theme park performances balance narrative and spectacle in immersive entertainment?
109. Can cosplay competitions be analyzed as ritualized theatre?
110. How does Shakespeare-in-the-Park reinterpret classical performance for outdoor spaces?