Punchdrunk have transformed the interior of this unprepossessing building into a mausoleum to the golden age of hollywood. In the summer of 20 the theatre company punchdrunk transformed an old paddington sorting office into a labyrinthine film studio full of intrigue and intimate moments. A hollywood fable, two years after the doors of temple studios opened for the first time the hardback book will feature over full colour and never before published photographs taken in the final few months before the doors of the studios closed forever. A hollywood fable, opens this month in temple studios, paddington, in partnership with the national theatre, and promises to continue the tradition of immersive bafflement and wonder that has drawn audiences. Now, a year after the drowned man closed, a new book captures its. As immersive performance pioneers punchdrunk release a limited edition book of photographs from their 20 show the drowned man, we speak to artistic director felix barrett, and photographer julian abrams about creating and capturing the spectacle and the intimacy of their worldrenowned productions.
Punchdrunk entered the world of theatre through a side door in the basement. Punchdrunks first book, a collection of photographs by julian abrams of a recent london show, the drowned man. How punchdrunk breathed life into the drowned man stage. The drowned man is a whirlwind of emotion, you cant help but get swept up in it, even if you have no idea what is happening, you cant deny the beauty of its scale from huge landscapes to an. Its safe to say a night at a punchdrunk production is as disorientating as it is thrilling. This class occurs daily between mon 7 apr fri 11 aprthis course is aimed at advanced and vocational students, with significant training in contemporary or ballet who wish to develop their dance theatre practice. The drowned man occupies an enormous expost office sorting depot right next to paddington station.
For readers not familiar with this talkedabout theatre company, punchdrunk is a pioneer in immersive theatre. The theatre companys the drowned man, which ran for a year from 20, was utterly exhilarating, breathtakingly complex and stunningly beautiful. Punchdrunk have made a triumphant return to london theatre with their newest production, the drowned man. Casino you can either have the money and the hammer or you can walk outta here you cant have both duration. In the drowned man, punchdrunk has created a fullyrealized world of faded hollywood glamour, populated by young starlets, highpowered executives and seedy cowboys. Photography by julian abrams punchdrunk has announced the punchdrunk encyclopaedia, the definitive book on the companys work to date, which will be released to mark eighteen years of punchdrunks existence. A hollywood fable presented by punchdrunk and the national theatre the awardwinning punchdrunk stage their biggest and most ambitious production yet. Temple studios virtual tour punchdrunk the drowned man. The lost lending library is a literacy project for the whole school, delivered by punchdrunk in collaboration with the primary schools it visits. For tickets and more information, see the punchdrunk website. It provides the first fullscale, historical account of one of the worlds foremost immersive theatre companies, drawn from unrivalled access to the collective memory and archives of their core creative team. A hollywood fable in 20, punchdrunk invited audiences to step inside the world of temple studios where the hollywood studio system met a forgotten hinterland filled with dreamers. The problem with an immersive company like punchdrunk is that people tend to take fixed attitudes.
Punchdrunks the drowned man for all its logistical flair the show is lacking in heart temple studios, 31 london st, london w2. The brilliant performance group punchdrunk with the national theatre have taken over an abandoned sorting office next to paddington for their first london. Punchdrunk to publish drowned man book whatsonstage. A hollywood fable is presented by punchdrunk and national theatre. The punchdrunk theater company has created more than a dozen immersive productions, and its latest, the drowned man, lets masked audiences meander from room to room.
Punchdrunk is a british theatre company, formed in 2000, by artistic director felix barrett mbe. The award winning punchdrunk stage their biggest and most ambitious production yet. A hollywood fable which features photos, commentary and celeb gossip from the smashhit immersive theatre experience punchdrunk. The drowned man is an evocation of low life, illusion and torrid betrayal in a tormented tinseltown and its good enough to be worth the ticket rush without being astounding. The company is named punchdrunk quite simply because that is how it wants the audience to feel. A faint thread of beenheredonethat runs through some of. Punchdrunk, one of the most talked about theatre companies around, is back with their latest production a drowned man. Since its inception, punchdrunk has pioneered a form of immersive theatre in which the audience is free to choose what to watch and where to go. This course gives participants an insight into punchdrunks unique performance and devising process. Rather its an intoxicating blend of the two, patented by the experiential force that is punchdrunk. The drowned man, a collaboration with the national theatre, is no exception to this. Debating going to see a punchdrunk show for the first time. The drowned man was an original theatre production by british theatre company punchdrunk.
The production fell within several genres of theatre, including socalled sitespecific theatre, promenade theatre, interactive theatre or immersive theatre. Does punchdrunks the drowned man live up to the hype. My last blog here was about the drowned man, a site specific promenade theatre experience by the renowned punchdrunk, in collaboration with the national theatre. Punchdrunks largest ever project the drowned man which opened in london this week allows its audience to explore the seedy underworld of a. A faint thread of beenheredonethat runs through some of them, which serves as a sharp reminder that in theatre you are only as good as your last show. The punchdrunk encyclopaedia is the definitive book on the companys work to date, marking eighteen years of punchdrunks existence. Reaction is divided to the drowned man, punchdrunks vast hollywood promenade show. A fully immersive, moving museum digital spy takes a visit to temple studios for the immersive play experience. For those who dont know the drill with punchdrunk, this is immersive theatre. Stunning photographs from inside punchdrunks the drowned man. The punchdrunk encyclopaedia 1st edition josephine. A punchdrunk approach to making theatre the british library. The drowned man book the limited edition book with photography by julian abrams is available from our shop.
This means, rather than sit in a chair and watch a performance, the audience is involved within the performance itself. The drowned man, a hollywood fable punchdrunk have many ardent followers and i have been a fan of their previous productions but, for me, this one didnt work on an emotional level. Punchdrunk have announced the publication of their first book, a collection of images from the drowned man. And if you read my rantings regularly, you must know what i culture vulture i am. The punchdrunk encyclopaedia is the definitive history of the company to date. Punchdrunks the drowned man was set in the world of temple studios, a hollywood studio in the 1960s, which was built in the old royal mail. A hollywood fable, two years after the doors of temple studios opened for the first time.
A hollywood fable is playing at temple studios until 30 december. Written by josephine machon with punchdrunk, the book features insights from members of the key creative team, along with writing from past friends and collaborators, such as adam curtis, nicholas hytner and lyn gardner. The building is the site for punchdrunks latest extravaganza, the drowned man, billed as their biggest and most daring yet. As well as learning repertoire from their current production of the drowned man. The hardback book will feature over full colour and never before published photographs taken in the final few months before the doors of the studios closed forever. Punchdrunk have been responsible for some incredibly exciting and immersive projects in recent years, and now were happy to share with you news that tickets are on sale today for their national. Punchdrunks the drowned man is theatre on a grand scale. A project created for six primary schools as part of the enrichment programme for the drowned man. Set within the fictional temple pictures, the drowned man was punchdrunks largest theatre installation, covering 200,000 sq ft. The show, at londons temple studios, is a punchdrunk production in conjunction with the national theatre. What to expect in most theatres, you sit down in your designated seat and watch the action unfold in front of you. Yesterday i was lucky enough to spend a day on the set of punchdrunks amazing immersive production the drowned man in paddington as we ran our art of immersive storytelling workshop along with 26 intrepid folk from a broad range of creative industries creative directors, prs, research agencies, film makers, brand directors and media buyers. At 314 floors high and with 72 spiral side departments, the lost lending library is the largest collection of books in the world.
Beginners guide to punchdrunk if theatre be the food of. The drowned man, a hollywood fable by punchdrunk, 9780993215001, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Punchdrunk is a term commonly used to describe the state of a boxer who has endured a hard fight, and the company equates this to a feeling of being bombarded with storytelling through every sense, an overload of stimuli that has a deep emotional and physical impact on the audience. The drowned man punchdrunk tickets theatre box office. Now, a year after the drowned man closed, a new book captures its magic. In the summer of 20 punchdrunk transformed an old paddington sorting office into a labyrinthine film studio full of intrigue and intimate moments. The drowned man was an original theatre production by british theatre company punchdrunk, in collaboration with the royal national theatre. Heres my guide on how to get the best out of your first visit. Punchdrunk global ltd trading as punchdrunk international punchdrunk is the registered trade mark of punchdrunk and is used under licence. Having been once, and had a great experience, sadly, the blog recounted the difficulties id had in booking tickets for a return visit.