Humans have engaged in theatre for at least 50,000 years for good reason: it builds social connections, provides opportunities to learn, and creates meaning through storytelling. Perhaps most importantly, it is an enjoyable, and therefore self-reinforcing, activity.
Theatre offers readers an introduction to the role that theatre plays in health and wellbeing, and provides guidance on how to incorporate it into professional health and social care environments, community spaces, and the family home.
The book provides an overview of the current evidence demonstrating the effects of theatre on specific domains of health and wellbeing, including mental health, physical health, and public health, as well as its impacts on the education of health and social care professionals. Case studies illustrate the broad range of applied theatre methods currently in use across the human lifespan - from bedside theatre performed for children in hospital to theatre workshops for
