Lauded as a pioneering work of immersive theater, Sleep No More has enjoyed years-long sold-out runs in New York City, London and Brookline, Massachusetts. Punchdrunk Theater’s much hyped take on Macbeth has become the talk of Shanghai, selling out tickets for the next couple of months since opening in December, with shows recently extended into May.
Sitting quietly on the corner of Beijing Xi Lu, the McKinnon Hotel – an abandoned office space remade to house the show – comes alive each evening with a theatrical experience that engages audiences physically and emotionally.
Entering the show, guests draw from a deck of cards that decide the fate of their journey. After walking through a pitch-dark tunnel that sets the mood, audience members enter a vintage speakeasy that channels the ambiance of 1930s Shanghai, which also doubles as a safe spot to take a break during the three-hour show.
Based on the cards they drew earlier, groups are sent to different floors after each person receives a mask. With 18 hours of content programmed into the show, Sleep No More promises to provide a show unique to each audience member.
For us, we stumble upon a goosebumps-inducing dining scene at the start. Eight performers, dressed in suits and modern gowns, move in unfathomably controlled motions bewitching the masked audience observing in the dark.
While there is no verbal communication throughout the show, Sleep No More is able to paint its story through physical movement, eye contact and remarkable sound design. It’s clear that the couple seated at each end of the table is Macbeth and his wife. However, before we could decipher who the other characters are, the performers suddenly stand up, and scatter in different directions, forcing us to quickly decide who to follow.
Each floor presents a different theme and is composed of different venues. The second floor, for example, is home to the hotel's check-in desk where audience members may witness a fight or even a murder.
The third floor might be the most time consuming, with a street full of stores and houses to explore. A small, non-descript club with cheesy neon lights flickering above its door is home to Macbeth’s famed witches and fascinating lighting show stalls.
Don’t worry if you lose track of your character or get tired of chasing people around. It’s wise to start your own adventure, let your natural detective instincts take the lead and explore the rich environment for hidden plots scattered around the hotel.
One note though: don’t be surprised if any performer attempts to make physical contact and engage you into the story. Sleep No More is so cleverly designed that it constantly reminds you that you’re more than an observer of a show, but an active participant.
While it’s impossible to unlock all of the show’s secrets in one visit, part of Sleep No More’s appeal comes from each audience member leaving with their own unique experience. As the show’s producer Colin Nightingale told That’s, “A lot of the storytelling comes out of conversations between audience members after the show.”
Until May, 7pm/7.15pm/7.30pm/7.45pm (Wed-Sat) and 3pm/3.15pm/3.30pm/3.45pm (Sat-Sun), RMB550 (RMB650 on Fri-Sat evenings). McKinnon Hotel, 1013 Beijing Xi Lu, by Jianging Lu 北京西路1013号, 近江宁路 (5299 0571, booking@mckinnonhotel.cn)
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