Sleep No More has opened again for live theater performance

Currently, there are numerous live theater performances showcased at theaters in Shanghai. Among them, Sleep No More stands out with wonderful performance that allures the audience every time it is opened for showcase. Sleep No More is a drama production primarily based on William Shakespeare’s Macbeth and 1697 Paisley Witch Trials, created by the British theater company Punchdrunk. Sleep No More is a three-hour long performance that is performed in a live theater named McKinnon Hotel, a performance space designed as a hotel, created solely for the use of drama performance. The production first opened in Shanghai in late 2016 after its initial launch in New York City.

With its first ticket sale and performance on March 7, 2011, Sleep No More has been continuously praised by drama enthusiasts for its distinctive theater design and the outstanding quality of its performers. Sleep No More is an immersive theater experience, a form of drama performance that is drastically different from a traditional playhouse. The audience is able to explore the space, interact with diverse characters as they move across different floors, and have private conversations with some of the characters even if they are separate from the rest of the audience. If an audience member makes eye contact with a specific character during the performance, the character may lead them to a private room and quote Shakespeare’s work, enact a scene, or give the audience member a task to complete. Many express that Sleep No More’s active encouragement of exciting audience participation is what makes it such a unique, worthwhile production to attend.

Despite its high praise, critics express that the storyline, which is based on William Shakespeare’s Macbeth and 1697 Paisley Witch Trial, can be difficult to understand for new-comers. To confront this issue, the actors now perform the same play for total of three times in one night. Over the course of a three-hour evening with each character playing a one-hour loop performance, audience members can return to their initial location at the end of every hour and find another character to follow. Throughout the course of the 3-hour performance, the audience can freely select characters that attract them and watch their performances when they want to. This allows the audience to observe the performance of minor characters that are not depicted clearly in the original play, which helps to thicken and extend the plot.

Tickets for Sleep No More are available until the September 29th, and will be reopened in October 4th, after the October Break. The address of the hotel is NO.1013, West Beijing Road (around Jiangning Road). For additional information, please check out this website: http://sleepnomore.cn/

Featured Image — A picture taken during the performance  Courtesy of Punchdrunk

By Amy Kang