Practitioner - PunchDrunk.
History.
Punchdrunk are a theatre company that specialise into immersive theatre - which developed from promenade theatre. Promenade theatre originated in the Medieval times because as the traveling shows performed their miracle/mystery plays, the audience followed the wagon and followed the story at the sam time.
After miracle plays phased out, immersive theatre lay dormant throughout restoration theatre until Antonin Artaud first wrote about it. He believed that audiences should be assaulted by the story, not sit comfortably in the stands.
His work then influenced Augusto Boal, who in turn created his 'theatre of the oppressed'. In Boal's theatre, audience members were encouraged to stop the play or recreate alternate endings - even swap places with an actor and play a character. Using this format, Boal politically questioned the left-wing Brazil he lived in as, like Brecht, he believed theatre was not just a form of entertainment.
Throughout the 60s and 70s immersive theatre gradually grew in popularity with groups such as 'the American living theatre' (who openly involved nudity in their plays) and Pina Bausch's Tanztheatre (which coupled immersive theatre and dance).
Then in 2000, Felix Barrett - a student at Exeter university - created punchdrunk.
Felix Barrett's Theatre Views.
Felix Barrett loved drama but hated theatre because he thought it was:
- Unmemorable - the monotony of theatre meant that audiences quickly forgot plays.
- Boring formulaic routine of watching plays was outdated.
- The audience switched off and didn't focus so any political message was lost.
He therefore wanted his own theatre to be:
- Audiences feel physically present, they are not watching a play but are in a play.
- Create excitement for the audience to keep play exciting.
- Powerfully memorable experiences so the political message was reinforced.
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Punchdrunk Characteristics.
The main Characteristics of Punchdrunk performances are:
Often based on modern/rewritten versions of classic texts - lots of Punchdrunk shows are classic old texts that have been rewritten or adapted to fit a modern audience. Audiences may recognise certain characters or scenes.
Unusual narrative style - unlike other styles of theatre which tell the story through traditional dialogue in scenes many parts of their shows are told through dance or song. Furthermore, small details in the set could tell the story such as letters or diaries.
Extremely detailed sets - the sets of Punchdrunk shows are incredibly detailed. They are similar to the sets used in naturalism; lots of thought is put into every part of the set and all props are there for a reason.
The audience are masked - in order to not reveal to other audience members who you are, everyone wears masks in Punchdrunk shows. The type of masks varies from show to show but it is usually a simple white venetian mask to hide your identity.
There is interaction with the actors - an actor may pull you in for a one on one talk. Sometimes they remove your mask and you talk to the actor about things completely unrelated to the plot but other times it is crucial to how the story pans out. There are often easter eggs hidden in the conversations in these 1:1s.
You can follow the story how you wish - one way that the shows are run is you follow one actor as they move around the story so that you see the story from their point of view. Equally you could stay in one place and watch different actors to see the story from an unbais point of view.
Easter Eggs.
Within the intricate sets of Punchdrunk shows are a handful of small secrets called easter eggs. An easter egg could be a letter on a desk or a diary of a character or even a painting or item of clothing.
The purpose of these props is to further tell the story or provide insight into something the audience could not have found out otherwise - they give the play depth and are vital in immersing the audience in the full story of the play.
As audiences know of the existence of easter eggs, they are often encouraged to look for them in the plays as their discovery always provides insight into a character or plot development.
