{
  "abstract": "Background: Actors face significant occupational health challenges, including high rates of physical injury, mental health problems and voice disorders. Immersive theatre is a novel but growing performance genre in which actors must navigate a shared space with the audience. Currently, no research has investigated the effects this working environment has on the health and wellbeing of actors.\n\nAims: To explore how the unique nature of the immersive theatre working environment may impact the physical, vocal and mental health of actors.\n\nMethods: Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with immersive theatre actors. Interviews were conducted online, recorded, transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis.\n\nResults: Analysis identified 12 sub-themes grouped into 4 themes: Vocal Health, Physical Health, Mental Health and Audience Management. Key concerns include vocal strain from a high vocal demand in difficult environmental conditions, cognitive overload from constant improvisation in highly stimulating settings, an elevated physical injury risk linked to a hazardous environment and lack of healthcare support, and personal safety concerns whilst working in the same space as an unpredictable audience.\n\nConclusions: Actors value the creative aspects of immersive theatre but face serious genre-specific occupational health risks. Targeted guidelines are needed for this expanding industry.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 2,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "L Rayner"
    },
    {
      "name": "J Grieshofer"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/6x4qrjmhhr8en.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1093/occmed/kqag086",
  "fulltext_url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13740512/",
  "id": "6x4qrjmhhr8en",
  "issns": [
    "0962-7480",
    "1471-8405"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqag086",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "AcademicSubjects/MED00640"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Original Paper"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "1213|Theatre and Performance Studies"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7208740912",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": "PMC13740512",
  "pmid": "42695921",
  "published": "2026-09-04",
  "publisher": "Oxford University Press",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/6x4qrjmhhr8en.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-10T12:21:45Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13740512",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqag086"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "journal-openalex:2739|Occupational Health and Safety in Workplaces",
      "subfield": "epidemiology-public-health"
    }
  ],
  "title": "The impact of working in immersive theatre on actors’ health",
  "title_text": "The impact of working in immersive theatre on actors’ health",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-10T12:21:45Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/6x4qrjmhhr8en",
  "venue": "Occupational Medicine (Oxford, England)",
  "versions": []
}