We need to talk about audience consent

Picture this: you’re sitting in a circus tent at Edinburgh Festival Fringe immersed in a pre-show party scene – noughties tunes are pumping, the tent smells like Britney Spears’ perfume Fantasy, and the audience are dancing in their seats. Performers run through the crowd setting the vibe, party hats on and enthusiasm levels high. A woman in a skimpy sparkly dress brushes past audience members – greeting them, dancing a little … but things escalate and soon she’s grinding on audience members’ laps. Full of newfound energy, she kisses a male audience member on the lips – fake nightclub style. He looks… unsure. This is not OK, but it is very common.