Theatre-in-the-round is a form of theatrical presentation in which the acting area is surrounded by the audience. It is far from being a new idea, though it has had some vogue since the 1930s. It seems very probable that some of the Cornish Mystery Plays were performed in the air with an audience ranged around the actors on banks. One may suppose, too, that Mumming Plays and related dramatic entertainments were thus presented. In modern times theatre-in-the-round achieved prominence in Russia in the 1930s where Okhlopov, using his realistic theatre, even involved the audience in the drama. At that time, too, Robert Atkins was producing Shakespeare in The Ring at Blackfriars.
In America, it has been a particularly popular form of presentation, especially in universities. Margo Jones was the main American exponent. In France, also, it has had some success, particularly in the hands of André Villiers who, in 1954, founded the Théâtre en Rond in Paris. In England, the leading light and dedicated crusader was Stephen Joseph, who established something of a tradition for theatre-in-the-round at Stoke-on-Trent. Joseph also worked on it in London, Southampton, and Scarborough.
Also read; A short note on the theatrical entertainment Revue; definition and its examples