Ambush Theatre

Sonke uses Ambush Theatre (also called invisible theatre) as an innovative means of raising awareness about pertinent issues. The technique involves a staged performance that gets attention and sparks debate on HIV and AIDS, domestic violence and gender equality. A small group of actors stage a short scene, in a public space, such as a street, bus, or taxi stand. Onlookers are unaware that they are watching a piece of theatre, and the apparently "real" scene becomes the subject of informal discussion and debate.

Ambush Theatre Aims

Sonke has recently used the Ambush Theatre approach in the Red Card Campaign, an initiative which seeks to reduce children and especially girl’s vulnerability to sexual exploitation. This approach has been used to get attention and spark debate and discussion around sexual exploitation of children and the fouls that deserve the Red Card. The approach has also been used to engage and inform taxi drivers, train commuters and other groups about the campaign.

The Red Card toolkit included instructions on how to perform Ambush Theatre and an Ambush Theatre instructional video and real-world demonstration, filmed in Cape Town at the Claremont taxi rank during the campaign activation. The performance clearly indicates how Ambush Theatre tool can be used to get attention and spark debate and discussions around sexual exploitation of children and the “fouls” that deserve the Red Card.