Bernadette Cochrane

From Panem to Hawkins: Franchised Storyworlds and the Digital Ecologies of Spectatorship

From Panem to Hawkins to Brisbane backyards, global franchises are transforming how we watch, play, and participate in stories. This two-part program begins with a lecture exploring how adaptations like The Hunger Games, Stranger Things, and Bluey move across stage, screen, and digital platforms to create new ways of engaging audiences. A linked masterclass then opens up the discussion, inviting participants to consider how adaptation and transmedia shape creative practices and spectatorship in live performance. Together, the events reveal how the stage is being reshaped by digital culture — and why audiences matter more than ever.

Bernadette Cochrane is Senior Lecturer in Theatre and Performance Studies at The University of Queensland, Australia