#punchdrunkuk

Thank you for this question! I just went down a rabbit hole of listening to music from TDM. It's amazing how a song can just drop you into a memory, isn't it?

Here is a Spotify playlist, although some of the songs aren't playable. They are still listed, so you might find them somewhere else?

As for a breakdown of what song is playing during which scene...I don't know if that is floating around the internet. Back in the day there were a bunch of spoiler documents, but I have no idea if they survived online anywhere.

I'm not the best person to ask about The Drowned Man since I was only able to see it four times (once at the very beginning of the run and then the final three shows.) I don't have the show memorized, and it lives in this very hazy and beautiful space in my memories.

Can anyone who knows TDM better than I do answer this one?

So--My original answer vanished into thin air...but someone asked where the cast lists that people put on tumblr are posted in the McKittrick.

Here is the answer -- 

There is not a cast list posted in the McKittrick.  On most nights after the show, there will be a board with a list of performer’s names on the wall beside the counters where you checked in.  You can look at that board; however, there will be no character roles listed.  It’s just a list of performers.  (And it’s often wrong.) 

People who post cast lists on tumblr are people who recognize the performers and the roles they are playing. They make a personal list and then share it with all of us.  

What an interesting assignment–is everyone creating something related to Punchdrunk? Or are all of you choosing a different company as inspiration? I am definitely not the expert here as I am not involved in theater production at all, so please take what I say with a grain of salt.  And this is going to be a bit scatter-brained as I’m just jotting down a few ideas…

That said, I think two incredibly important parts of Punchdrunk’s aesthetic are the sound and the lighting. (Which is a little bit like saying, “Water is wet,” but oh well.) The Punchdrunk shows and workshops I have attended have used and discussed the power of ambient sound and music in the narrative as well as the importance of lighting in creating an intimate feel even in large spaces. 

There is also a rising level of tension that sort of goes from “what’s going on?” ==> “is there a bomb?” ==> “I think there’s a bomb.” ==> “There IS a bomb!” ==> “Bomb explodes.”  This is not PD specific, but is generally good advice for creating an engaging narrative. 

And then there are the Punchdrunk elements of a masked audience and complete freedom of choice for the audience in terms of exploring a detailed set. That sense of turning a corner and not knowing what I will find is something I’ve not found in any other company’s work, even ones who are creating great immersive theater. I think that feeling is encouraged by the lighting and the sound and the small physical spaces that are all through the set.

One on one interaction with the audience is not a Punchdrunk exclusive element either, but it certainly adds to a sense of intimacy and risk. 

“What is happening?  I don’t understand, but it’s amazing!”  This is the feeling that I will always associate with Punchdrunk shows, especially the first time I see them. 

If you want to hear about Punchdrunk from a much better authority than me, just google all the interviews that Felix Barrett, Stephen Dobbie, Maxine Doyle, Pete Higgin, etc. have done over the past 10 years. There are some terrific ones on YouTube.

That’s an interesting question that I’ll try to answer, but also tap @drinkthehalo on the shoulder with this, as she is more versed in the history than I am.

Part of the complexity of this question is that the NYC version of Sleep No More is the third of four versions of the show (as of 2017.)  The first was in London, the second in Boston, then came NYC, and finally Shanghai.  All of these productions have built on the same ideas, but have also been slightly different from each other. (The idea of the “best” version is somewhat hotly debated.) 

Original London Production (h/t to @drinkthehalo):

Macbeth: Geir Hytten Lady Macbeth: Sarah Dowling Macduff: Rob McNeill Malcolm: Hector Harkness Banquo: Mark Fadoula Sexy Witch: Elizabeth Barker Bald Witch: Dagmara Billon Boy Witch: Andreas Constantinou Duncan: Gerard Bell

 the Boston production: 

Macbeth - Geir Hytten and Eric Jackson Bradley Lady Macbeth - Sarah Dowling and Tori Sparks Macduff - Robert McNeill and Luke MurphyLady Macduff - Ali RossMalcolm - Hector Harkness and Robert NajarianBanquo - Vinicius Salles and Jeffrey Lyon Duncan - Phil AtkinsPorter - Thomas Kee Boy Witch - Conor Doyle and Jordan Morley Sexy Witch - Stephanie Eaton Bald Witch - Fernanda Prata and Kelly BartnikHecate - Careena MeliaThe Second Mrs. de Winter - Poornima KirbyMrs. Danvers - Tori Sparks and Hope DavisBellhop/Taxidermist - Alexander LaFranceSpeakeasy Bartender - Sogdiana AzhibenAnnie Darcy - Annie GoodchildElsie Price - Hayley Jane SogginMan in Bar - Robert Najarian and Matt Spano

 And the original NYC cast was:

Macbeth - Nick Bruder and Eric Jackson Bradley Lady Macbeth -  Tori Sparks and Sophie BortolussiMacduff - Luke Murphy and John Sorensen-JolinkLady Macduff - Ali Ross and Lucy YorkMalcolm - Robert NajarianBanquo - Jeffrey Lyon and Gabriel ForestieriDuncan - Phil AtkinsPorter - Matty Oaks and Nick Bruder Boy Witch - Jordan Morley, Paul Singh, and Conor DoyleSexy Witch - Stephanie Eaton and Ching-I ChangBald Witch - Hope Davis Kelly BartnikHecate - Careena MeliaAgnes - Tori Sparks and Sophie Bortolussi Mrs. Danvers - Kelly Bartnik and Hope DavisBellhop/Taxidermist - Luke Murphy and John Sorensen-JolinkSpeakeasy Bartender - Paul Singh and Jordan MorleyCunning Man - Jeffrey Lyon and Gabriel ForestieriNurse - Stephanie Eaton and Ching-I ChangOrderly (different character from Nurse)* - Matty Oaks and Conor DoyleMatron (added after opening) - Lucy York and Ali RossWoman in Bar - Maya Lubinsky (Elizabeth Romanski soon after the opening)Man in Bar - Nick Atkinson