{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,4]],"date-time":"2026-09-04T15:14:21Z","timestamp":1788534861793,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,4]],"date-time":"2026-09-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1788480000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>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\u00a0actors 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.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Aims<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>To explore how the unique nature of the immersive theatre working environment may impact the physical, vocal and mental health of actors.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with immersive theatre actors. Interviews were conducted online, recorded, transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>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,\u00a0and personal safety concerns whilst working in the same space as an unpredictable audience.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Actors value the creative aspects of immersive theatre but face serious genre-specific occupational health risks. Targeted guidelines are needed for this expanding industry.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1093\/occmed\/kqag086","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,28]],"date-time":"2026-07-28T11:13:24Z","timestamp":1785237204000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The impact of working in immersive theatre on actors\u2019 health"],"prefix":"10.1093","author":[{"given":"L","family":"Rayner","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"J","family":"Grieshofer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, Fitzrovia, London, WC1E 7HB, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"286","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"2026090410211908500_kqag086-B1","first-page":"69","volume-title":"About Performance 2015","author":"Maxwell"},{"key":"2026090410211908500_kqag086-B2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"108","DOI":"10.21091\/mppa.2019.2010","article-title":"Health status of live theater actors: a systematic literature review","volume":"34","author":"Martin","year":"2019","journal-title":"Med Probl Perform Art"},{"key":"2026090410211908500_kqag086-B3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"157","DOI":"10.1353\/tt.1999.0011","article-title":"The impact of acting on student actors: boundary blurring, growth, and emotional distress","volume":"9","author":"Burgoyne","year":"1999","journal-title":"Theatre Topics"},{"key":"2026090410211908500_kqag086-B4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"843","DOI":"10.1097\/JOM.0000000000001052","article-title":"Occupational health and the performing arts","volume":"59","author":"Hinkamp","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Occup Environ Med"},{"key":"2026090410211908500_kqag086-B5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"77","DOI":"10.2105\/AJPH.86.1.77","article-title":"A survey of injuries among broadway performers","volume":"86","author":"Evans","year":"1996","journal-title":"Am J Public Health"},{"key":"2026090410211908500_kqag086-B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"585","DOI":"10.1136\/oem.55.9.585","article-title":"Survey of injuries among West End performers","volume":"55","author":"Evans","year":"1998","journal-title":"Occup Environ Med"},{"key":"2026090410211908500_kqag086-B7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"139","DOI":"10.12678\/1089-313X.23.4.139","article-title":"Epidemiology of injuries in West End performers","volume":"23","author":"James","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Dance Med Sci"},{"key":"2026090410211908500_kqag086-B8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.21091\/mppa.2024.1001","article-title":"Musculoskeletal injury in Australian professional musical theatre shows: a 5-year retrospective observation study of 2,249 medical attention injuries","volume":"39","author":"Ganderton","year":"2024","journal-title":"Med Probl Perform Art"},{"key":"2026090410211908500_kqag086-B9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"84","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jvoice.2022.07.030","article-title":"Prevalence of work-related voice disorders in voice professionals: systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"39","author":"Oliveira","year":"2025","journal-title":"J Voice"},{"key":"2026090410211908500_kqag086-B10","author":"Lyons","year":"2021"},{"key":"2026090410211908500_kqag086-B11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"251","DOI":"10.1080\/14682761.2023.2185928","article-title":"Audience behavior in immersive theatre: an environment-behavior studies analysis of Punchdrunk\u2019s Sleep No More","volume":"44","author":"Gezgin","year":"2024","journal-title":"Stud Theatre Perform"},{"key":"2026090410211908500_kqag086-B12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"349","DOI":"10.1093\/intqhc\/mzm042","article-title":"Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ): a 32-item checklist for interviews and focus groups","volume":"19","author":"Tong","year":"2007","journal-title":"Int J Qual Health Care"},{"key":"2026090410211908500_kqag086-B13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"201","DOI":"10.1080\/2159676X.2019.1704846","article-title":"To saturate or not to saturate? 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