Our ethics

Invisible Theatre asks a lot of the people it happens to. They didn't buy a ticket. They may never know a scene was a scene. That trust starts before anything happens, so these principles apply from the moment someone hears about us, signs up, or walks into a place where we might be.

What we promise

• No harm. No scene puts anyone at physical, emotional, legal or financial risk.
• Nothing frightening or traumatic. We never stage crimes, accidents, medical emergencies, fights or threats. We never pretend to be the police, the emergency services, health workers or any other officials.
• Nothing sold, nothing taken. We never ask for money, bank details, passwords or personal information, and we never sell anything during a scene.
• Nobody made a fool of. People who join in are collaborators, not targets. We don't film or photograph members of the public in a way that identifies them without their permission, and we never publish anything that would embarrass them.
• Care for people who may be vulnerable. We don't direct scenes at children or at anyone who seems distressed, unwell or vulnerable. Scenes are planned so that disabled and Deaf people are never singled out.

Stopping

Every scene has a way to stop. If anyone seems upset, unsafe or confused in a way that matters, the performers drop the scene, step out of character and help. If someone sincerely asks whether it is real, and the answer matters to them, we tell the truth.

Before anything happens

Waiting is part of the work. When you sign up as a mystery shopper, we tell you that something may happen in the coming weeks. We keep that promise gentle:

• It will never be frightening.
• It will never involve where you live or work unless you have said yes to that in writing.
• We only use the details you gave us, and only for this.
• You can stop at any time by replying to any of our emails. We delete your details and nothing happens.
• We tell you when your window has closed, so you're not left wondering.

Afterwards

Performers can carry small cards with this website on them, so anyone who wants to know what happened can find out. Nobody is asked for anything in return.

Working properly

• We get permission from the people who own or manage each place, tell the local authority and police where that is needed, assess the risks of every scene and hold public liability insurance.
• Performers and collaborators are paid fairly, briefed on these principles and free to stop a scene at any point.
• Anyone working with children or adults at risk has the right checks.
• Personal information is handled as our privacy policy explains.

Tell us

If something we did made you uncomfortable, we want to hear about it. Contact us and a real person will reply. We review these principles every year, and whenever a concern is raised.

Last reviewed: October 2026.