Latest news with #Punchdrunk
Evening Standard
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Evening Standard
Punchdrunk's new live action video game is searching for early access players
Felix Barrett, Punchdrunk's artistic director, said that making a live video game is 'the holy grail for me'. Punchdrunk will use technology to bring the game to life, complete with maps and lives that can be lost and regenerated. The production company wants the show to be 'more engrossing' than 'an evening on Fortnite or Zelda'.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Space mayhem! Is this Punchdrunk's most exciting show yet?
Punchdrunk's new immersive theatre project is one which all the family will enjoy. Providing members of the family are fans of running around in all-action melees set on distant planets. And who isn't? The new production is called LANDER 23 and is billed as a live action video game, in which the 'usual' (ie mind-melting) immersive theatre techniques pioneered by Punchdrunk are underpinned by video game mechanics. Here's the tantalising set-up pitch: 'The Lander Division of the Centre for Astrobiology is responsible for exploring the outer realms of the galaxy. No division goes further or deeper into the unknown. A week ago, the crew of LANDER 23 vanished while harvesting a new and valuable energy source on Hisarlik 426. A distress signal, then silence. You are the next crew in. Mission Parameters: LAUNCH, SEARCH, SURVIVE ' Now if that doesn't whet your whistle, then you're probably not a video game fan or Alien fan. But even then, the sheer ambition behind this one should surely draw you in. A real-life multiplayer stealth game in which you have the agency to save lives, solve puzzles and escape whatever the hell is out there… exciting no? Certainly the Artistic Director of Punchdrunk, Felix Barrett, thinks so: 'I was really keen to try and make something that would be the dream show for my inner 12 year old,' he says, 'Where you bring a video game into the real world and make people feel like they are their own avatar.' Punchdrunk is actually 25 years old this year, and LANDER 23 represents an apt production to mark their ethos. Barrett says the term 'immersive theatre' which was applied to Punchdrunk, came from the media applying video game terminology to the show: 'the most immersive form of entertainment are video games because you're completely submerged in a world where you have total agency to do whatever you want to do. When we first opened with Sleep No More in New York [their original production from 2003, based on MacBeth], one of the papers gave us 'Game of the Year'. I suddenly realised what we do is quite similar to gameplay. And ever since then I've been fascinated by the idea of going the whole hog: what if we took the game mechanics from a big popular adventure game and applied them to a live world. Where an audience member had that much control and could really do whatever they want. They follow a narrative, they can explore, they can try and beat their friends for points, they can go off on side quests. I genuinely believe it's the future. LANDER 23 is our first step on that pathway.' This then, is not simply a fun new production for them, but a sign of what the future may hold for Punchdrunk and for entertainment in general. Particularly when there's a generation who are brought up on video games, who will truly appreciate gaming in 'real life', with all the physical rush that a proper experience will bring. 'There's a whole generation who are going to demand more agency,' Barrett says, 'Those who didn't know a time before this digital age, and who are used to having complete control over their daily lives online, and who are going to be really fascinated about having the same for their evening out. For us as a company, it's definitely the future.' LANDER 23 will be taking place at their permanent site in Woolwich, partially using old sets in the name of sustainability. Visitors there will be immediately plunged into the action, he promises. 'The idea of being on board a ship that's plummeting towards a planet, knowing that you're then going to immediately have to disembark and go straight into the melee, feels like the most intense hit of adrenaline that anyone would want. There's nothing like a space adventure.' The adventure is very much for adults and children, and is a chance for some true escapism from all the pressure and noise of modern digital life; 'the empowerment that comes from being able to step inside a different version of yourself, to lose yourself in a character, and conquer exciting situations.' But there is a special kind of magic that comes when you're involving children in these things. 'When we did The Crash of the Elysium, which was a Doctor Who work with Manchester International Festival 15 years ago, it was a show for 6 to 12 year-olds and adults weren't allowed in. They had to save the Doctor like they were in a live episode of Doctor Who, and turned out being the most emotionally impactive show I've ever done. These kids were so in it because of the immersive nature, experiencing it as though it was real. were real. So when they actually saved the Doctor and defeated the baddies they felt victory. It was incredibly emotional for them. Transformative. They realised what it was like to push through to the other side and actually achieve something.' On that basis, it's going to be a big deal for everyone who attends, an escape, transformative, a huge dose of fun to take you out of a difficult, bewildering world, and put some faith back in your ability to act. 'It's going to be an amazing adventure, but at its core is something that we all need to remember about what we have inside us. To be able to have that sense of: you can do it.' LANDER 23 is previewing from 17 September 2025. Tickets from £23.
Time Out
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
‘It's high stakes, high adrenaline' – Punchdrunk head into space with video game influenced new show
Time was, you knew what you were getting with a new show from immersive theatre titans Punchdrunk: it would involve about three hours exploring a sinister, detailed fantasy landscape while wearing a mask and trying to decipher an oblique plot (which plays out multiple times) probably based on classic literature. But after 2022's huge Trojan War epic The Burnt City, founder Felix Barrett declared he was done with new 'mask shows'. He put his money where his mouth was with last year's superb Viola's Room. Now the company moves into further uncharted territory – literally and figuratively – with Lander 23, a 'live action video game' that casts audience members as an away team exploring an alien planet in an effort to find out why the team before them disappeared. Ahead of Lander 23 's 'early access launch' in September, Barrett spills the beans on his legendary company's latest startling change of shape. 'Multiplayer stealth game' sounds very different to the sort of show Punchdrunk has made in the past: how did you come to make a show that's clearly overtly influenced by video games? 'I've actually been wanting to do this for about 10 years now: we've had a few misfires with it. But finally we're getting there, it's an amazing thing to be doing on our twenty-fifth anniversary year because I truly believe it's the future.' Is it still fair to call it immersive theatre? 'I think what's interesting is that 'immersive theatre' was a term applied to us by the media, we didn't invent it, and I think the use of 'immersive' they mean actually comes from video games. It's the term that most readily describes that form because, you know, you plunge into a living breathing world.' Are video games a new influence on Punchdrunk? 'There were already parallels with what we do, and in fact when we opened Sleep No More in New York in 2011, one of the end of year write-ups gave us game of the year. And it really made me think about the proper immersion that would come if you took those video game mechanics and applied them to real life. So we're not an audience but players. I've been hypothesising about it for years now and actively trying to do it for over a decade.' The show will initially be 'early access', which as I understand it basically means 'work in progress' – why is that? 'We're gonna need more audience for this one than ever before to iterate and finesse and stress test it, which is why it's not a full blown launch.' Without spoiling it, what in a nuts and bolts way does the show involve you doing? 'Basically it's an adventure. The Lander craft is the vehicle that takes you from an orbiting mother ship to the surface of the planet – as deployed in many '80s and '90s action sci-fi shows. You're in the Lander Division at the Centre for Astrobiology, and you're there to collect samples, but also potentially solve the mystery of what happened to Lander 23, which disappeared. So it's high stakes, high adrenaline, you're plunged into a world you know very little about because you are the recon and you have to get back to your ship safely.' It's being staged at Punchdrunk's enormous home base The Carriageworks which has two very large areas: is it going to be transformed into one alien planet? Two alien planets..? 'It's just one alien planet: one landing, one mission, and out. What's exciting about it as well, I think in terms of our growing up and being more sustainable and more efficient as a company… I've always thought I'd love to get inside an empty video game engine and build a show inside, and that's what we're doing here, we're modding the set of The Burnt City.' Oh okay! Which half? Troy or Greece? 'Troy. So it's an empty, desolate town. It feels like it's properly sustainable theatre.' Will it look very different? 'I mean there are big differences, but it's a completely different mindset going in as well. Whereas the mask shows there's a slow crawl and a curiosity, with this there's an inherent tension in that you are exploring somewhere that you've never been before.' The Burnt City was about three hours and you didn't have to do anything in particular other than explore – is 90 minutes going to be enough for this? 'That's almost the most exciting thing about this! I live for different ways we can recontextualize the audience and to be able to give them that agency where they're focused, they've got something to do. Can they complete it? Do they deviate from that path? Do they suddenly get curious about strands of narrative? We're trying to build something that really serves whatever different psychology of player you are.' You can really fuck up in video games: either die, have to restart or simply be terrible at them. Is that a possibility here? There's surely a balance between a legitimately game-like experience and people feeling they've got value for money on their night out? 'You're plunging inside a game, it's like, an hour and a half of adrenaline and excitement, but you can fail it. A key part of video games is jeopardy: you have to be able to fail, otherwise there's no intention. You can lose your lives, but you can regenerate and you can go again.' Your previous shows have very explicit influences: they're adapted from source texts – is that the case here? 'Well, we started off with being very influenced by Roadside Picnic, the novel that became Tarkovsky's Stalker, that is an influence, but I think we've probably dialed back. We're also going for a sense of the sort of sci-fi adventures that we wanted to have when we were kids, because we want it to be an older family show. So we have been looking at '80s and '90s sci-fi.' Are there any games that are an influence? 'Have you heard of Sam Barlow's Immortality? In terms of form and function, it's unlike anything I've played before. I've also recently been playing Blue Prince, you're just trying to explore an empty house that you've been bequeathed in a will, and you've got to try and get to the last room. That's great.' Would it be correct to assume that like Viola's Room, there are no live actors in this one? 'There are performers pre-recorded at various stages, but none live.' Is Lander 23 what's going to be in the Carriageworks for the foreseeable? The next show we know about from you will be at the National Theatre in 2027 – do you have any other plans? 'We're delighted to be going to the National soon, but also we're really committed to using the Carriageworks as a laboratory to try new stuff in, a sort of safe space. It's such a luxury to be able to experiment again and take risks, like, you know: Viola's Room was like – 'we've got a building, let's try it'. We've got a good few shows already deep in the pipeline for the Carriageworks, I hope to be speaking to you in the coming months about another one.' We don't know anything about the National Theatre show other than that it's happening: can you give even the tiniest of hints? 'No! [laughs] But what I can say is I owe so much of my career to the National picking us up when we were a fringe of the fringe company, helping us promote the shows even though we were on the outskirts of London. So when Indhu (Rubasingham, NT artistic director) got in touch and said, would you consider it, we just leapt at the chance.' Lander 23 is at the Carriageworks, booking from Sep 17-Feb 2 2026. Prices will start from £23. As the show is based around teams of four, online booking has to be in ticket multiples of two, though single tickets can be arranged by calling the box office.
Korea Herald
03-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
'Sleep No More' brings immersive ‘Macbeth'-inspired noir to Seoul
The immersive theater sensation "Sleep No More" has arrived in Seoul, launching preview performances ahead of its official premiere on Aug. 21. A hypnotic, wordless reimagining of Shakespeare's "Macbeth" set in a 1930s noir universe, the production transforms the historic Daehan Cinema in Chungmuro into the McKithan Hotel, a sprawling, dimly lit labyrinth built exclusively for the show. The experience draws additional inspiration from classic noir films, particularly the works of Alfred Hitchcock, and takes its name from Macbeth's line: 'Methought I heard a voice cry, 'Sleep no more: Macbeth does murder sleep.'' Audience members, required to wear white masks provided upon entry, are invited to wander through the hotel at will, free to follow different performers and explore scenes unfolding simultaneously across multiple floors and rooms. Some guests linger to sift through intricate set details, while others chase actors through shadowy hallways, piecing together a narrative of betrayal, desire and murder -- all told entirely through movement and cinematic staging. Produced by the British company Punchdrunk, "Sleep No More" helped pioneer immersive storytelling, inviting audiences to shape their own theatrical experience by choosing where to go and whom to follow. Since its 2003 London premiere, the show has staged acclaimed runs in Boston, New York and Shanghai. The Seoul production, open to audiences 19 and older, runs until Sept. 30.
Time Out
30-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
I tried NYC's new barefoot immersive theater show 'Viola's Room,' and it was unsettlingly awesome
As an audience member and a mercifully no-longer actor, I've been asked to do a lot of things in a theatre space. But something I was not expecting while attending Punchdrunk's newest immersive theater creation, Viola's Room, was being asked to remove my shoes and socks and sanitize my feet before seeing the show. The titular room, equipped with six beds, is merely the starting point for this sensory journey directed by Felix Barrett, of Sleep No More fame. Led by light and sound, I felt my way through a labyrinthine installation as this gothic tale unfolded before my very eyes—except, of course, for the pitch darkness. Over the course of an hour at The Shed in Hudson Yards, our small group learned the story of Viola through over-ear headphone narration, which is based on the short story "The Moon-Slave" by Barry Pain. Writer Daisy Johnson adapted this short story into a thrilling and surprising adventure with themes of innocence and obsession—and did so without a single actor in the room. The experience began with my designated group of six strangers inside a dimly lit room. Before you make it to Viola's Room, make sure to arrive at The Shed at least 20 minutes before the allotted time, as this experience operates on a shift schedule; one group cannot begin until another ends. Not only that, but there is no late entry allowed—Viola has many guests! Once inside, a member of Punchdrunk's team explained the performance and how to best enjoy the experience. The lingering feeling of fear and anticipation were heavy in the moments before I entered and took a seat in a flimsy wooden chair beneath a dim lightbulb. I even witnessed a number of people having second thoughts about whether they could endure the experience. These same emotions were very present in Viola's own story, and Punchdrunk goes to great lengths to provide that layer to the production as well. "It's the most intimate and distilled form of a Punchdrunk experience we've created: an invitation to step inside a teenage daydream and surrender to the unknown," Barrett said in a statement. "In a non-stop world of screens and tech this is an invitation to succumb to a live, tactile and fully sensory journey." To add another layer, scent is also incorporated into this production. I noticed hints of floral and woodsy aromas, as well as the blanketing scent of a freshly cooked feast. That's about the closest you'll be getting to taste, I'm afraid, as the only food in Viola's Room is plastic and definitely not edible. Be prepared for haze, flashing lights, loud recorded sound, and moments of darkness, as well as very narrow spaces—some of which require audiences to crouch, crawl or bend over to pass through. Wearing comfortable and loose clothing is recommended. Cameras and mobile devices are not allowed. There is a complimentary bag check at the Mezzanine level of The Shed to store personal belongings, as well as labeled boxes to house any on-person items and shoes before entering the space. Sanitizer is provided for feet as this must be experienced barefoot (so make sure to trim your toenails before attending, too, especially if you're bringing a date). General admission tickets start at $49. Shows run Tuesday–Sunday until Oct. 19. As Viola's Room operates in groups of six, there are also private bookings available. Groups smaller than six are not guaranteed to experience the show together, so be prepared for that. While you're at The Shed, also check out some art at the free Open Call: Portals exhibition through August 24.
