Watch Sleep No More: tips and strategies

Photo from Dance Magazine. https://images.app.goo.gl/rpa7uVhSB6aQx2Tr7

If you are deciding whether to get the ticket or not… do it!

I went for Sleep No More (SNM) early May in New York City. The production company is British theatre company Punchdrunk. It happens in a restored warehouse in the Chelsea neighborhood called McKittrick Hotel.

SNM is an immersive theatre play unlike any others. The most interesting part is that the play occurs in a multi-story building where I move through the settings. I choose which rooms I visit, which actors I follow, and form my own version of the story.

I would like to offer some tips and strategies that I found out. I think they will benefit those who are interested.

Buying a ticket

1. If you would like to maximize your experience, I recommend buying an earlier one.
2. Tickets on weekdays are slightly cheaper than weekends. I would also speculate a smaller crowd.

Before going to the play

1. Shall I read Shakespeare’s Macbeth since it’s based on it? Not necessarily. I chose not to refresh my member on Macbeth, and I found absolutely fine. I was able to explore the settings at will and was trying to weave what I see into a larger story. If I have refered to Macbeth at all times, I doubt that I would enjoy it as much.
2. Wear comfortable shoes. There will be a lot of climbing stairs and running around. Yep, running around, not walking around ;)
3. Wear in layers. Clerk will friendly recommend you to check your coat. It gets warm inside with all the people and running around.
4. If you have contacts to substitute prescription glasses, wear contacts. Audience will wear a mask, prescription glasses will be tricky.
5. Makeup? I didn’t have makeup on. I did feel the mask stick on my cheekbone with light sweat. Depending on your facial features, the mask may mess with your mascara.

Coming to the play

1. Similar to my recommendation of purchasing an early ticket, if you would like to maximize your experience, go there early. They send people inside batch by batch. Adding the time for coat check and waiting, I would go there at 6:30pm if I have a 7pm ticket.
2. The scene is unique. Prepare yourself with dim environment, eerie background music, narrow space, intense dances, etc. At first I felt afraid when I was exploring the settings alone. I took a deep breath and told myself it’s a safe place. Then I’m ready to explore.
3. There are many story lines happening at the same time. I figured the best way is to spot an actor that you find interesting, and follow them. Once you get bored, follow someone else that occurred in the same scene with the previous one.
4. If there is someone that you would like to follow to the next scene, run with them. Actors move fast. If you lose them in the stair, they are nowhere to be found.