The Case for Immersion: Punchdrunk, a Company Committed to Transformative Uses of Space, Closes the Gap Between Audience and Spectacle in "Sleep No More"

Abstract

This paper examines the spatial structures employed by the theater company Punchdrunk in Sleep No More. These structures are pivotal to a distinctive theatrical experience that blurs the boundaries between space, performer, and spectator: their relationship to one another becomes dynamic and constantly in flux. In the company’s productions, the audience is afforded the autonomy to choose what they wish to see and where they wish to go. This freedom of choice enables the company to assert that each audience member’s journey is unique, and that each performance is distinct. Along with an analysis of Sleep No More, this article offers a concise overview of the history of immersive theater, as well as a brief description of the neurological processes involved in the reception of similar immersive productions. Ultimately, the article makes the case for how immersive shows achieve a greater transformative character than conventional theater.