Live shows get your heart racing – scientists prove it

UCL scientists measured heart rates and sweat glands of audiences and found live shows caused much greater response

Science has proved what theatre and concert-goers have long known. When it comes to emotional impact, watching a live performance is so much more thrilling than a version on screen.

Scientists from University College London (UCL) measured heart rates and sweat glands of audience members as they watched both theatre productions and films. They found that heart rates go up and down with the narrative arc of a story and that the highs are highest and lows lowest at a live show. Peak heart-rate levels were much higher among those watching live theatre than in people viewing a film.