Sleep No More (2009 play)
Encyclopedia
Sleep No More is an immersive theatre production created by British theatre company Punchdrunk
. Based on Punchdrunk's original 2003 London production, the company reinvented Sleep No More in a co-production with the American Repertory Theatre (A.R.T.)
, which opened at the Old Lincoln School in Brookline, Massachusetts
on October 8, 2009.
It won Punchdrunk the Elliot Norton Theatre Award for Best Theatrical Experience 2010.
with characters, narrative, and aesthetic elements inspired by the films of Hitchcock
, in particular Rebecca, an adaptation
of the novel of the same name
by English author Daphne du Maurier
.
Unlike a conventional play, in which all audience members share the experience of witnessing the same events on the same stage, Sleep No More provides the audience with a more fragmented,, multi-layered and individualized experience. As directors Felix Barrett and Maxine Doyle say in the program notes, "exploring the space individually, the audience is given the opportunity to both act in and direct their own film; to revisit, to edit and to indulge themselves as voyeurs."
(Route 9) in Brookline, Massachusetts
. The complex and overlapping subplots unfolded across 44 rooms on all four stories of the school building.
, with the company.
, a disco adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream
, and Best of Both Worlds, an R&B/gospel musical inspired by The Winter's Tale
.
Punchdrunk
Punchdrunk is a British theatre company, formed in 2000, the pioneer of a form of "immersive" presentation in which the audience is free to choose what to watch and where to go. This format is related to "promenade theatre"....
. Based on Punchdrunk's original 2003 London production, the company reinvented Sleep No More in a co-production with the American Repertory Theatre (A.R.T.)
American Repertory Theatre
The American Repertory Theater is a professional not-for-profit theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1980 by Robert Brustein, the A.R.T. is known for its commitment to new American plays and music–theater explorations; to neglected works of the past; and to established classical texts...
, which opened at the Old Lincoln School in Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, which borders on the cities of Boston and Newton. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 58,732.-Etymology:...
on October 8, 2009.
It won Punchdrunk the Elliot Norton Theatre Award for Best Theatrical Experience 2010.
Overview
The production was a new and expanded version of Punchdrunk's 2003 production of the same name which was performed in the Beaufoy Building, London, a disused Victorian school. Unlike a conventional stage play, Sleep No More is an immersive experience in which audiences are free to explore the world of the performance at will. It combined plot and characters of Shakespeare's MacbethMacbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
with characters, narrative, and aesthetic elements inspired by the films of Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
, in particular Rebecca, an adaptation
Film adaptation
Film adaptation is the transfer of a written work to a feature film. It is a type of derivative work.A common form of film adaptation is the use of a novel as the basis of a feature film, but film adaptation includes the use of non-fiction , autobiography, comic book, scripture, plays, and even...
of the novel of the same name
Rebecca (novel)
Rebecca is a novel by Daphne du Maurier. When Rebecca was published in 1938, du Maurier became – to her great surprise – one of the most popular authors of the day. Rebecca is considered to be one of her best works...
by English author Daphne du Maurier
Daphne du Maurier
Dame Daphne du Maurier, Lady Browning DBE was a British author and playwright.Many of her works have been adapted into films, including the novels Rebecca and Jamaica Inn and the short stories "The Birds" and "Don't Look Now". The first three were directed by Alfred Hitchcock.Her elder sister was...
.
Relationship to Macbeth
Assistant director Paul Stacey says that "every line of Shakepeare's Macbeth is embedded in the multiple languages—sound, light, design, and dance—of Sleep No More."Characters
There were 18 characters in the 2009 production of Sleep No More, most of them taken directly from Shakespeare's Scottish tragedy, Macbeth.Immersion of audience
Audience members are invited to explore the world of the production in their own time, choosing for themselves what to watch and where to go.Unlike a conventional play, in which all audience members share the experience of witnessing the same events on the same stage, Sleep No More provides the audience with a more fragmented,, multi-layered and individualized experience. As directors Felix Barrett and Maxine Doyle say in the program notes, "exploring the space individually, the audience is given the opportunity to both act in and direct their own film; to revisit, to edit and to indulge themselves as voyeurs."
Absence of dialogue
Though the plot is driven forward by events and interactions, Punchdrunk has developed a unique physical performance language in which there is almost no speaking by the performers. In describing Sleep No More, the directors write that "Screen dialogues become intense physical duets between characters and the body becomes the site of debate. Spoken words rarely find their way into our world; we are excited by the human body as a primary source of emotive storytelling."Old Lincoln School
The venue for Sleep No More was the surplus Old Lincoln School at 194 Boylston StreetBoylston Street
Boylston Street is the name of a major east-west thoroughfare in the city of Boston, Massachusetts. Another Boylston Street runs through Boston's western suburbs....
(Route 9) in Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, which borders on the cities of Boston and Newton. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 58,732.-Etymology:...
. The complex and overlapping subplots unfolded across 44 rooms on all four stories of the school building.
Credits
Sleep No More is directed and devised by Felix Barrett and Maxine DoyleMaxine Doyle
Maxine Doyle was an American film actress.-Career:Doyle appeared in almost forty films between 1933 and 1946 and is known for her work at Republic Pictures.-Personal life:...
, with the company.
- Felix Barrett....Director and Designer
- Maxine Doyle....Director and Choreographer
- Stephen Dobbie....Sound and Graphic Designer
- Livi Vaughan....Associate Designer
- Beatrice Minns....Associate Designer
- David Israel Reynoso....Costumer (Costume Designer)
- Mikhael Tara Garver....Staff Director
- Paul Stacey....Assistant Director
- Carolyn Rae Boyd....Stage Manager
Cast (October 8 - November 8)
- Phil Atkins as Duncan
- Hector Harkness as Malcolm
- Geir Hytten as Macbeth
- Vinicius Salles as Banquo
- Robert McNeill as Macduff
- Thomas Kee as Porter
- Sarah Dowling as Lady Macbeth
- Alli Ross as Lady Macduff
- Conor Doyle as Witch
- Stephanie Eaton as Witch
- Fernanda Prata as Witch
- Careena Melia as Hecate
- Poornima Kirby as The Second Mrs. de Winter
- Tori Sparks as Mrs. Danvers
- Alexander LaFrance as Bellhop/Taxidermist
- Sogdiana Azhiben as Speakeasy Bartender
- Annie Goodchild as Annie Darcy
- Hayley Jane Soggin as Elsie Price
- Robert Najarian as Man in Bar
Cast (from November 10)
- Phil Atkins as Duncan
- Robert Najarian as Malcolm
- Nicholas Bruder as Macbeth
- Jeffery Lyon as Banquo
- Luke Murphy as Macduff
- Thomas Kee as Porter
- Sophie Bortolussi as Lady Macbeth
- Alli Ross as Lady Macduff
- Jordan Morley as Witch
- Stephanie Eaton as Witch
- Kelly Bartnik as Witch
- Careena Melia as Hecate
- Poornima Kirby as The Second Mrs. de Winter
- Hope T. Davis as Mrs. Danvers
- Alexander LaFrance as Bellhop/Taxidermist
- Sogdiana Azhiben as Speakeasy Bartender
- Annie Goodchild as Annie Darcy
- Hayley Jane Soggin as Elsie Price
- Matt Spano as Charlie, Man in Bar
Sleep No More and the ART
Sleep No More was presented as part of the ART's Shakespeare Exploded! festival, which included The Donkey ShowThe Donkey Show (musical)
The Donkey Show: A Midsummer Night's Disco is a theatrical adaptation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. The production, created in a disco-era style, was written by Diane Paulus and her husband Randy Weiner and first appeared Off-Broadway, opening August 18, 1999. The show subsequently...
, a disco adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
, and Best of Both Worlds, an R&B/gospel musical inspired by The Winter's Tale
The Winter's Tale
The Winter's Tale is a play by William Shakespeare, originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, some modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some critics, among them W. W...
.