The Theatrical Experience of Sleep No More

                 Punchdrunk’s Sleep No More isn’t just theatre, it’s beyond that – it’s a theatrical experience.  The number one question I got/get when telling people about seeing Sleep No More on my trip to New York was/is “what is it?”  As much as I’d love to help those people out, there really isn’t an easy answer.  I think even those who know the show inside and out might have trouble coming up with a succinct yet sufficient answer.  Yes, there’s Macbeth, but there’s more to it than that.  What I can say, without giving away any crucial details, and without blowing any mystery is that it’s an experiential theatre event in which “guests” self-guide themselves around the performance as they see fit.  There’s a lot going on at once, and no right or wrong way to “do” it. 

                My friend and I had tickets to the Saturday late-night performance of the show, which was actually perfect.  Somehow, just the fact that it was midnight seemed to add to the suspense.   I’m not used to being up that late – my day job is as a public school teacher, and I had traveled a long way to be in NYC, without a whole lot of sleep – and I think the actors must have wondered why I was yawning, but I was engaged and intrigued the whole time.  It’s truly a captivating experience, even when the actors aren’t actually in the same room as you.  There’s always something to discover.  Before the show, we went to an 8 pm performance of NOW. HERE. THIS. at the Vineyard Theatre.  We got some advice from the one and only Susan Blackwell, after mentioning to her that our next stop was Sleep No More.  She gave us two solid pieces of wisdom.  The first was that, while suspenseful, it’s not like a haunted house – no monster is going to jump out at you.  That was reassuring, because I happen to be one of the jumpiest people on the planet.  Her second piece of advice was to look up a Gawker article detailing how to see all the nudity in the show.  I won’t link directly to the article here, because certain people who read my blog happen to find me wholesome, and I’d like to keep it that way, but it’s easy enough to Google, if you’re so inclined.  We found the article to be hilarious (and true), but it also gave us a little heads-up (without giving too much plot away) about what we were about to see.  It’s a safe bet that if you’re not comfortable being mere feet from a naked stranger, then this might not be the place for you.

                    I’m going to be purposefully vague about what I saw during the show, but let me just say that it was honestly one of the most intense experiences of my life.  The experience begins right when you enter, and continues long after you’re done.  I was inside there for two and a half hours, and I can’t remember a time when my brain has been truly “on” for that long.  I was really thinking about what I was seeing, and it was fascinating.  I don’t want to make it seem like I actually understood half the stuff I saw, because the task of trying to piece it all together is half the battle and all the fun.  My friend and I went together, but we split up and explored on our own.  That’s definitely the best way to do it – we apparently saw almost two completely different shows, and we had a lot to discuss later.  He and I literally discussed it the whole walk back to our hotel on East 42^nd, and all the way through Sunday brunch.  We are both aching to go back.  I’m willing to sacrifice a good deal of time and money for the opportunity to return.  I think it goes without saying that I cannot recommend Sleep No More highly enough.  It’s too difficult to explain, you really just have to experience it, so go!