'Sleep No More' Actors Groped During Show, Report Says

CHELSEA, NY — Actors in the acclaimed show "Sleep No More" say they have been groped by audience members during the immersive show on multiple occasions, according to a new report from BuzzFeed News.

Eight former performers and staff members of the show said they were groped and touched by people in audience while performing, BuzzFeed reported. The show, performed at the McKittrick Hotel in Chelsea, is spread throughout multiple rooms in an non-traditional theatrical experience that has audience members in masks wandering from room to room.

BuzzFeed's new report details accounts from eight former employees, who say that the show's anonymized and non-traditional atmosphere has on some occasions allowed audience members to take advantage of performers. Some performers told BuzzFeed that Emursive, the production company behind Sleep No More, "failed to adequately protect employees in the workplace."

The show opened in Chelsea in 2011 to reviews that gushed about the "Macbeth" adaptation's startling experience. All audience members in the show are given a mask before entering the theater, which is really a multi-level set where audience members following performers throughout the intricate set.

BuzzFeed News launched an investigation into the performers' experiences after receiving a tip through its secure tip line, the outlet said. BuzzFeed News confirmed 17 incidents of groping or sexual misconduct by patrons during the show, the news outlet reported. Some show employees were groped on multiple occasions.

Billy Bell, a former actor in "Sleep No More," told BuzzFeed that in 2015, an audience member reached out and grabbed his genitals while he was undressing as part of a scene.

"They’re intoxicated," Bell told BuzzFeed of the audience members. "They’re in this atmosphere that we’ve created where there are no limits, there are no rules, we're in a magical land right now — but in reality you’re still a person."

"Sleep No More" did not immediately respond to an email from Patch seeking a comment in response to BuzzFeed's investigation.

"Safety is our highest priority," Emursive said in a statement to BuzzFeed News. The McKittrick Hotel, located at 530 W. 27th St., has "effectively implemented extensive training that ensures preparedness for the unusual instances when issues occur," the statement said.

You can read BuzzFeed News's complete investigation here.

Image credit: Brian Killian / Getty Images. Image caption: A general view of atmosphere during the Sleep No More New Year's Eve 2014 Party at The McKittrick Hotel, home of Sleep No More, on December 31, 2013 in New York City.