Punchdrunk: Sleep No More ¦ Photo: Yaniv Schulman

Punchdrunk: Sleep No More

Punchdrunk: Sleep No More ¦ Photo: Yaniv Schulman

Punchdrunk certainly have electrified the Manhattan scene. Since opening Sleep No More in collaboration with Emursive (an elusive production company) in spring 2011, the company has been drawing audiences night after night for a dose of their trademark immersive theatrical experience in which audiences don a white mask and explore sprawling landscapes.

This piece is inspired by Macbeth, although you’d be hard pressed to figure that out unless you’ve read the programme notes beforehand. The show is set in the McKittrick Hotel in Chelsea – supposedly a former hotel, but obviously a massive warehouse. Whilst rifling through some paper I came across a headed sheet with the address of the McKittrick Hotel stating it was in Scotland… All in a film noir, 1950s setting.

That aside, Punchdrunk’s reputation as pioneers of incredibly designed installation sets remains triumphant here. Dimly lit throughout, Felix Barrett, Livi Vaughan and Beatrice Minns have created a beautiful and haunting playground across four floors of this massive building. One is constantly amazed by the detail of the set pieces, some of which remain emblazoned in my mind: a small room with headless dolls floating above an empty crib, halls full of white bathtubs and small beds, a soundproofed room with black and white feathers jutting from the walls. One room that I had the fortune to explore by myself was jam-packed with herbs that filled my brain with exotic aromas, whilst other areas offered peat or stone to walk on. It is a sensory delight.

The joy and, concurrently, the frustration of the piece is that you are free to roam as you please. I bumped into a young woman crushing medicines together before forcing a pregnant woman to drink the concoction, a man and woman dressing and undressing each other, flinging themselves into each other’s arms (and a full bath) before melodramatically abandoning each other, and one of Maxine Doyle’s repetitive lustful duets between a bartender and his sexy object of affection. Audience members raced after the performers (all extremely able, and convincing throughout), knocking bystanders to the side to ensure getting a piece of the action.

Having experienced previous Punchdrunk performances, I tended to go the opposite direction to the hustle and bustle. Sometimes this paid off – I wandered into the grand ballroom utterly alone, which sent shivers down my spine. I could leisurely investigate the contents of drawers and closets to my heart’s content. Not that it led to much knowledge being shared with me. And there’s the rub. For all of Punchdrunk’s incredible attention to detail, the experience never goes beyond frivolous, voyeuristic fun. Sure, it’s exciting for a performer to lead you by the hand and race down a dark corridor, or to be pushed out of the way during an aggressive duet between what might be Macbeth and Macduff. It’s very enjoyable to listen to fabulous 50s music whilst wandering through a forest of eerie trees or a crumbling graveyard with gravel under your feet. But I yearned for more: to be moved, to be enlightened, to care. As it stands, Sleep No More is no more than a beautifully created playground where the people of New York can recklessly revel for a few hours before continuing the party in the bar.

www.punchdrunk.org.uk