What you should know
The immersive “Macbeth”-inspired theatrical experience “Sleep No More,” playing in three sprawling empty warehouses in downtown New York City, will say goodbye early next year when it runs through 5,000 performances. Producers said the Wednesday that they will conclude the experience on January 28 after 13 years and having welcomed more than 2 million visitors to the art installation that combines theater and dance with elements of Shakespeare and Alfred Hitchcock. “Thirteen years ago, never We would have imagined the amazing journey this program has taken. “It has had an immeasurable impact on us all and will live in our hearts, seep through our skin and sleep deep in our imaginations,” said producers Felix Barrett and Maxine Doyle.
The immersive “Macbeth”-inspired theatrical experience “Sleep No More,” playing in three sprawling empty warehouses in downtown New York City, will say goodbye early next year when it runs for 5,000 performances.
Producers said Wednesday they will conclude the experience on Jan. 28 after 13 years and welcoming more than 2 million visitors to the art installation that combines theater and dance with elements of Shakespeare and Alfred Hitchcock.
“Thirteen years ago, we would never have imagined the amazing journey this program has been on. “It has had an immeasurable impact on us all and will live in our hearts, seep through our skin and sleep deep in our imaginations,” said producers Felix Barrett and Maxine Doyle.
Created by British theater company Punchdrunk, visitors to the fictional 100,000-square-foot McKittrick Hotel are given Venetian-style masks to wear and encouraged to explore. About 25 performers perform mostly wordless scenes inspired by Shakespeare’s work, dressed in 1930s costumes and giving off a film noir vibe and an “Eyes Wide Shut” feel. It became a draw for tourists and a model for more immersive experiences in the city.
Over the years, the space became a multi-space entertainment, nightlife and dining destination, with a rooftop garden restaurant and stages that attracted performances by everyone from Mumford and Sons and Sting to Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Brandi Carlile, Dua Lipa and Josh Groban.
For the intrepid, around 100 rooms have been spread across several floors, some as small as a child’s bedroom and others as large as a ballroom. The outside has also been brought inside, with a sandy graveyard and a huge forest thrown into the mix. Guests are encouraged to rummage through the infirmary, taxidermist’s clinic, padded room, libraries, apothecaries, laundry, and even a detective agency. Open the drawers, read the books on the shelves: each room is decorated without sparing detail. They even seem to have their own smell.
A production in Shanghai is in its seventh year.
2023-11-09 14:57:20
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