Punchdrunk (theatre company)
Punchdrunk is a British theatre company, formed in 2000 by Felix Barrett. Barrett declares, "We want to create work that leaves you spinning and seeing stars." The company developed a form of immersive theatre in which no audience member will have the same experience as another. The audience is free to choose what to watch and where to go. The format is related to promenade theatre, but utilizes audience immersion more extensively. The company’s way of using sound, light, movement, and environment in such ways while merging mass spectacle with intimate audience experiences, has garnered major  recognition for being so unique. In 2015, Punchdrunk formed a new company, Punchdrunk International, which produces a selection of Punchdrunk's commercial productions for national and international audiences. The company is a National Portfolio Organisation with Arts Council England. Punchdrunk International. In 2015, Punchdrunk founded a new production company, Punchdrunk International. The company produces artistic works created by Felix Barrett and the Punchdrunk creative team, including "Sleep No More," Shanghai. It is a reworking of Macbeth that is currently the longest-running international show in the city’s history The company has also collaborated with selected organisations, including a long  term creative partnership with Samsung North America. Projects made in collaboration with the company include "Believe Your Eyes", a VR experience for Cannes Lions Festival, 2016. The experience has since travelled to Art Basel Miami, Samsung 837 in New York and Phi Centre, Montreal. "Believe Your Eyes" was awarded a Silver Lion in the Entertainment category at Cannes 2017. In July 2019, production began on the company's first television project, "The Third Day", a co-production between Sky Studios and HBO, in partnership with Plan B Entertainment, writer Dennis Kelly and Punchdrunk International. It starred Jude Law and aired  in the UK and the US in 2020. In August 2021, the company announced its next project, "The Burnt City" on its social media channels. The show is now booking from March 2022 to August 2022. Punchdrunk Enrichment. In 2008, Punchdrunk founded a new branch of the company focused on outreach to communities and schools called Punchdrunk Enrichment. Punchdrunk Enrichment projects are mostly aimed at children and young people. Peter Higgin, Punchdrunk's Director of Enrichment, described these projects as "transformative experiences with a wider educational focus and the trademark design and imagination that you'd get in bigger Punchdrunk  shows." Projects from Punchdrunk Enrichment include: Fallow Cross. In 2017, Punchdrunk opened Fallow Cross, a research and development space in Tottenham Hale. Innovations. In a typical Punchdrunk production, audience members are free to roam the performance site, which can be as large as a five-story industrial warehouse. They can either follow the performers and themes (there are usually multiple threads at any instant), or simply explore the world of the performance, treating the production as a large art installation. Masks are another signature element of Punchdrunk's work. Barret says when the company "...introduced masks, suddenly inhibition fell away  and people found a sense of freedom in their anonymity, allowing them to fully explore their surroundings and become totally absorbed in the world around them." Former Secretary of State for Culture James Purnell cited Punchdrunk as an example of "access and excellence" in modern British theatre. Punchdrunk has a multi-project partnership with mobile gaming giant Niantic ("Pokémon GO") in which they work to develop the next generation of live experience.