The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable

Terrifying, mesmerising, supremely immersive, the Drowned Man is the most impressive and escapist piece of theatre or film that I’ve ever experienced. Normally top-​rate cinema or film stays with me for a few days. The awe I felt at the Drowned Man is still with me several months after the event.
The beginning is unusual but within the realms of normality. You’re handed a white mask that could be from the Venetian carnival and told not to take it off or say anything throughout the performance. Then you’re shown through to a room with perhaps 10 to other members of the audience where you meet your first performer who acts as usher to the main event. At this point I was actively suspending my belief, even though I couldn’t help but be struck by his flawless delivery as he singled out my girlfriend as one to watch when the cocktails started to flow.
When we reached the main area however, suspending my belief was no longer a choice. Rather, I was thrust into a world that felt very real. Key to this is just the right amount of disorientation that makes you question what is real, what is staged and just what indeed what you’re walking into, which the sensation of suddenly walking on to wood chip only increases. Various factors contribute to this: the darkness of the rooms, which can make it hard to see where the bigger spaces start and where they end; a stunning, loud yet clear soundtrack filled with intriguing yet unnerving numbers from films like ‘Hannibal’, «Perfume: The Story of a Murderer» and artists like Tom Waits, which (deliberately?) puts you on edge somewhat; the masks of the wandering audience members, which can’t fail to intimidate however passive the wearer might be.
The stage is multi-​levelled and you can explore pretty much all of it. The attention to detail is astonishing: I’ll never forget the desk in one room strewn with hundreds of faded, hand-​written notes alongside an old typewriter and other office accessories. Two asymmetric and enigmatic stories play out across the levels and 3 hour time span, each repeating itself so one could experience both if one happened to be in the right place at the right time. I ended up seeing a couple of scenes twice, which only highlights yet another unique aspect of the Drowned Man: the individual nature of it. You choose what you want to see, and from what angle. Inevitably that can tip the experience into voyeurism as and when there are actors and actresses making out and dancing seductively in front of you.
Indeed, although there are spoken parts, there is plenty of dancing in the Drowned Man. Some recognisable, other pieces more contemporary.
It’s true too that the Drowned Man is something best experienced on your own. In part because you get to do what you want to do, but also because it heightens the fear and adrenaline as you edge into small dark rooms on your own, unable to see anything but a hazy smoke drifting over what looks like a prone mannequin on the floor.
I’ve been avidly listening to the score on Spotify ever since I saw it. I’m keenly looking forward to what Punchdrunk comes up with next. Because the Drowned Man was a truly unforgettable experience.

Yowza! The Drowned Man is certainly something very special. I saw Punchdrunk’s previous show, Sleep No More in New York which was excellent so I had high hopes for The Drowned Man. I still can’t tell you what one was better, I’ve been debating that fact with myself. The Drowned Man is much bigger than Sleep No More, a bigger cast and a bigger story. I need to go again.
Essentially there were two MAIN stories (and countless smaller stories wrapped around the main stories). The main stories intertwine somewhat but for the most part they act very separately. What annoyed me was the people who stuck with their companions. They held hands and clung to each other throughout the whole show. It doesn’t work that well when you do that. It’s best experienced as an individual experience. Then you meet up after and talk about what you both saw.
I focused all my energy on one of the main stories. I spent the whole three hours following the three main characters involved in that particular story and occasionally attaching myself to others who intertwined with one of the three characters, so I got that story very in depth, but I barely saw any of the other story. At all. Like… I don’t even know what happened in the other story and so by halfway through if i came across one of the characters of the other story i’d think ‘who is this and what is going on?’ My partner, however, saw a good overview of the story I followed and then headed down to get a good overview of the second story, so effectively he saw some good bits of both but didn’t get in depth into either of the stories. That’s the beauty of Punchdrunk. Everyone see’s something so completely different from everyone else. It’s your own experience.
In Sleep No More there is only one story (Macbeth) and essentially you’re led over all four floors. In The Drowned Man, if you follow story one you’re pretty much kept on two floors, and maybe get taken to one of the other floors at one point (it’s hard to know that place is such a maze). But my partner said to really get into the second story he had to stop following characters and take himself down to the other two floors to connect with a character there from the second story. So if you plan to try and see both stories I’d keep that in mind. I REALLY need to go back. Don’t miss out on this show. It’s such a great experience.

As I write this review I am listening to The Drowned Man Playlist I have found of all the songs featured in this show and it just takes you back into those dark corners and scenes that have haunted my dreams for the last few nights.
I have actually seen this production twice (second time as a Studio Executive) and I am going back for a last performance in a few weeks before it closes (6^th July) in order to put my own ghosts to rest. I know full well that I will never be satisfied as I will never fully comprehend what is going on but I know that it has affected my psyche in a very weird way and there are rooms, even after 2 visits, that I have managed not even to find yet, and I’m talking big rooms!
Anyway, if you have not yet had the pleasure of seeing the Drowned Man, you do not have long left to see it but if you are one who likes to be taken along on a strange and beautiful journey and witness a whole world of stories that intertwine over 4 floors of set, this is the show for you.
Largely a dance/​movement piece with little dialogue but affecting scenes, The Drowned Man bases Georg Büchner’s unfinished play Woyzeck, and characters taken from Nathaniel West’s short story The Day of the Locust, The Drowned Man tries to tell the story of Wendy and Marshall and Mary and William, two pairs of lovers who work in various capacities at Temple Studios. One pairs story plays out in the studio itself, and one plays out in the town just outside the studio gates. You will see hints on murder, lust, joy, pain, voodoo, lots of signs that just add more and more suspicion to your environment.
I don’t want to say too much as this is an immersive experience. I encourage you to go it alone, make your own path, follow characters, explore, touch, read. On my first visit I felt like I was so desperate to see everything but quickly came to realise there is just too much to see, but the best bit is to talk about your experience afterwards and hear about scenes you may have missed and discuss theories. It is a haunting experience. I was very lucky to have a 1 to 1 with the Doctor on my second visit which was very spooky. I did a few Rorschach tests and apparently I don’t have violent tendencies which is good. The rest is a secret but was very interesting. I did however manage to miss the one place I had missed last time though so I felt a little unsatisfied at the end, hence going once more. If you do go again, or even just the once, try to follow different sorts of people. I ended up following mostly towns people on both visits and I saw a lot of the same scenes but from different angles.
It is amazing to see how detailed this show is. The performers are incredible and to go around in such darkness and maintain such strong and haunted characters is just incredible. You will feel like you want to watch Twin Peaks at the end of it all and the music has been chosen so well. There is a lot that will be incredibly surreal but that is it’s charm.
Be brave. You will have an incredible time — in hindsight!
xyz

Love it! Love it! Love it!
Did I mention I fucking love The Drowned Man?
That is all.
For more on this show I would suggest reading some of the other reviews on Unilocal about The Drowned Man.
P.s If anyone cares to mark this review as ‘useful’ then note that I fully appreciate sarcasm and please know that I am with you in spirit.
Peace out,
Ian

Loved this! An immersive experience for your senses, best of all, in darkness and with everyone masked! As soon I as I read it was the same company (Punchdrunk) that created Sleep No More in New York, I bought tickets and didn’t want or need to read anymore about it… didn’t want any spoilers…
Tips: consider your time to enter and don’t wear fancy shoes. Three of us began the experience at 7pm so we were exploring for three hours — you buy tickets and enter at different intervals. I think two hours would have been ideal for me. Go and enjoy it!!!

The Drowned Man is weird. It’s wonderful. It’s disjointed. It’s a headache. It’s heartbreak. It’s flashing lights, beautiful scenery, disembodied voices and loud noises. It’s actors who feel like people in a dream. It’s an ultimate immersive theatre experience.
And I can’t stop thinking about it.
This review will try to have no spoilers. In fact, it’s best to go in without knowing anything at all. But if you want to know at least a little of what it feels like, continue on.
You enter in a doorway right next to Paddington Station. You drop off your bags at a coat check room and off to a dark room. You’re given a mask to wear and pushed onto an elevator. Then it all begins.
There’s a story that plays out, and you are not part of it… although, you actually are. As a person in a mask, you are a ghostly observer. And I mean that in all ways. You can touch — go up to the props. Read the notes, see what they see. You can hear the actors. They talk, they laugh, they cry, they converse with one another. Sometimes they will ask you to do things, like zip up a dress or apply make up. Most times they ignore you completely.
This is an explosion of the senses. You walk through dark hallways or misted forests (and it feels like a real forest. just as the doctor’s office smells like a doctor’s office. The details in this show are amazing.)
The whole show loops three times during the three hours you are there, but only the one in the middle is the complete story. My first loops, I wandered, running into random scenes and character. My second loop, I followed the main actress through everywhere she went. This was trickier as trying to stay with her as she sometimes ran through the sets was difficult, but not impossible. I have no idea which one is better, even now doing it.
Are there issues? Yes. The masks they give you do not work if you wear glasses (although you kind of forget their there as you get into the story.) It’s crowded, but really, only if you follow the main people. If you wander or follow side characters, it’s open (except on the stairwells, those are nuts and people will push you.) The ending is… open-​ended, to say the least. I’m not sure I loved the story, but I loved the experience.
The whole event feel like a David Lynch movie, or a dream you aren’t sure if you want to stay in or run screaming from. Either way, it was like nothing I’ve ever done before.

I have been to other Punch Drunk productions in the past, Black Diamond in particular stands out as being a fantastic immersive experience. However, this production is just too massive, too expansive and does not have enough guidance of what to look out for, what the story is, or anything.
Don’t get me wrong, the production, the setting, the atmosphere, the dancing, everything about the ‘putting on’ of this production is amazing. I particularly love the central bar area that has a band playing topical/​period music, it is such a lovely touch, but even that is so strange to think that they would have such a great bar area that attracts people and takes them away from the main attraction — the production.
It is over 3 (or was it 4?) floors, each one darker and emptier than the next. I walked, I walked, I peered, I saw fleeting glances of characters and a bit of dancing… that is the only way I can explain this experience. I left without feeling I had been entertained, at all, in any way other than the band at the bar… which is not central to the production.
It is all just too vast and vague. A fantastic idea that, for me, got lost due to the lack of direction and the unwillingness to help the watcher through the experience, leaving it up to them to find ‘interesting’ things — unfortunately I saw none.
So disappointed by the whole thing, and I feel that both my time and money were wasted. Maybe I am a person that needs entertainment spoon-​fed to me? I didn’t/don’t think it is the case, but I do know that this particular show is not for me.
An absolutely incredible set and idea though. Fell very short as an immersive experience for me.
Sorry

I always feel like I have different experiences than everyone else. I was really excited about this show, but for me there’s one massive problem and I just couldn’t get past that.
So we had premium tickets. It was mostly due to not wanting to have a late entrance time (as they stagger them every ten minutes, but the show ends at the same time for everyone so the later your entry time, the less you see, but all tickets are the same price, so make sure you book early and get an early entry time). There were actually advantages to this. You got a little pre-​show and if we had been paying more attention, we would have been more aware about certain things. But at the beginning everything is new and puzzling. You also get access to a «special» room in the basement. Which we used, and it was nice as they actually told you were to go to follow the main story and it can be quite confusing to know who are the «main» actors and who are side characters and which ones to follow to get the main story.
The main story also repeats twice. Well mostly, except the finale which is only once. I’m not sure whether it’s better to wander for the first half and try to follow a story (as there are two nearly identical happening concurrently) for the second half, or vice versa. Or to follow each story. Or to try to follow the two leads for one story. However, if you go with people (which I highly recommend) split up so you can discuss it afterwards.
The sets are gorgeous and they don’t mind if you pick up and look through things. I started reading a script for «The Drowned Man» that was on someone’s dressing table, but continued to move around. There’s a bit of eerieness, and it’s fun to explore everywhere, and I ended up wandering through a maze for a few minutes and when I finished I burst out into a small room where one of the actors was doing a scene. I’m sure I frightened everyone else in the room because I burst out from behind a dark curtain.
The bar in the center is in a nice place to stop as you can remove your mask. I get why we’re all in masks, but they’re quite uncomfortable and sweaty. And if you wear glasses, not good at all. There are performers and side characters from the play doing stuff, so you don’t really feel left out of the action. In fact I saw more action in the bar than most places. Although I did discover that there are certain rooms where more of the stories occur, so you could probably just wait in those rooms for the actors to come to you if you don’t feel like following them around.
And that’s the main problem with the whole thing. Trying to follow the actors. There are SO many people wandering around and following that they basically just shove in front of you. And it’s frustrating. It’s almost as if because people are wearing masks they feel like it’s okay to be inconsiderate and rude. Someone even grabbed my ass during the finale. Really people? You think this is okay behavior?
So for me it works well in idea, but there’s a failure in execution. The other half really enjoyed it, but he made sure to get pushy back when people tried to push in front of him so when he was following one of the main actors in the second half he was always close and really got to see a lot of what was going on.

I’m a big Punchdrunk fan, having seen Sleep No More in New York, so checking out Drowned Man during my London vacation was a must. (Even though I had to giggle over the irony of traveling all the way to London from Hollywood, CA to see a play set in the very town I just left!)
When I did Sleep I spent a lot of time wandering around the sets. With Drowned Man I enacted a different approach, and started following actors around as soon as I came across them. I prefer this method – although I’m sure I missed seeing a few things, I felt like I was involved in a more immersive experience. I very much like that they mirror the main story of the show between two different sets of actors, those within the studio world, and those in the town outside its gates. (I spent the majority of my time in the town.) Even though there’s no way to see everything in one night, I didn’t feel like I missed quite as much because of the duplicated story.
My final bit of advice to those seeing the show: be prepared to run! And if you aren’t going to give chase when an actor takes off, move out of the way so other people can. Our performance had a lot of people just kind of milling about, making it hard to follow certain characters. While I do not condone shoving, if you aren’t going to go for it, step back and let someone else take the lead.

The newest immersive theatre experience by Punchdrunk (the people behind Sleep No More which seems to be on a permanent run in NYC and a whole load of other such productions), The Drowned Man is based on the German play Woyzeck.
Though I’d had the gist described to me, having never been for one of these, I had no idea what to expect. Wear comfortable shoes as you’ll be walking a lot (also shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty as there’s a room with a lot of sand for instance), wear contact lenses if you wear glasses (you have to wear those tight white masks, and bring an antiseptic wipe for the mask (they reuse them. True story a friend said she fell ill after and she’s convinced it’s from the mask).
Also, it helps to look at the pictures of the main characters in the lift on the way up so you know who’s who, and to read up on Woyzeck before hand to have a rough idea on the story.
Once your inside, everyone you meet without a mask is in character. The world is rich with small little details, and you’re encouraged to walk around, explore and interact. I stuck with main characters for the first hour and a half or so, and ended up seeing repeats of a few scenes (as they sort of do them on loop while advancing the loop progressively). It’s only after sufficient repeats that I made an effort to wander.
I was pleased with the way I did it as I felt I caught all the key scenes and was able to piece together the story. That being said, there are 2 parallel stories and I barely saw the other one. There’s also just so much to explore generally that I’ve already bought another ticket for next Saturday (they have some half price tickets for people aged 25 and under generally).
Bottom line, whether or not you’ve already done something like this, The Drowned Man is pretty incredible. The story is relatively easy to follow (I’ve been told Sleep No More is way more confusing), and the building (though occasionally creepy when rooms are empty) is fascinating to explore.

So amazing and unlike anything I have ever experienced. I can only echo what has been said before — explore and just go with the flow. I came here with my boyfriend but we quickly lost each other, but this only meant we had a totally different experience and understanding of this play. I was excited, and scared, and bewildered but I loved it.
The only low point for me was some people who had no regard for anyone else and were pushing and shoving. We all want to see, so let’s make room for each other!

When was the last time you went out with some friends, wandered around lost for 3 hours, got upset that you couldn’t be lost for longer and… had 3 completely and utterly different evenings at the end of it?
I absolutely adored The Drowned Man and if it wasn’t so dear I would go again in a flash. I loved the attention to detail they paid to the set and how immersive the experience was in general. Getting lost in random rooms and reading up on actor’s psych profiles were hilarious as well as attempting to collect as many mementos as possible without «outright plain stealing things».
Admittedly none of us understood what was going on in the play, but it was so clear after the first 10 minutes or so, that this wasn’t the point of the production at all. Apparently if we were watching the play solidly for the 3 hours entrance, we would not be able to watch more than ¹⁄₅ of the content prepared, so for me, the experience was almost more fly on the wall, rather than understanding completely what was going on.
All in all a super production, and I can’t fathom the amount of organization that went into producing such a wonderful experience.
PS Keep your phone with you– the sets are instagram heaven and it’s really useful to find your mates after as the bar gets super packed.
PPS Definitely separate from your friends. And try not to follow the crowds as some of the conversations take place in tiny rooms which only fit around 5 people in it.
PPPS If you are so lucky to have the chance of having a one-​to-​one with one of the characters, jump at it. Don’t be shy!

I have no words to describe the adventure that is the drowned man. Which is a good thing because I feel like the less you know the better — the ‘surprise!’ Element will make it that much better.
All you need to know is just go with it. Go it alone. Be curious. Try all the doors and and open the drawers and wardrobes. use all of your senses. Don’t be scared! And make sure you visit all of the levels in the vast space.
Surprising, scary, enthralling and all encompassing, this is a show that shows why London truly is the centre of the cultural universe. Don’t miss it.

Went to this because I liked Sleep no More in nyc, but it was not as good. Could be that I saw Sleep no More back in the day when it was still in limited run and fresh and that Punchdrunk just doesn’t try as hard anymore. The characters in the bar in nyc were definitely more «into it» than the folks in London.
Entry was absolute chaos w/​lost reservations & etc. and it took ½ hr to get thru the mess. Once in, the sets were elaborate but it seems that not every room is used, whereas in nyc there’s the feeling that at some point in the production a character will come in and perform, that’s not the case here. The base story of Woyzeck has less dramatic impact here, perhaps because they split up the story along a male/​female divide, resulting in there being no protagonist and no clear direction where it’s all headed.
Found it more rewarding following the characters around. The sets were a bit too vast to explore and also really dark, so that they were really only brought to life when someone was performing in it. Found the bar about ½ way through but thought it was a waste of time that took away from precious moments needed to follow characters around and understand the action. I enjoyed the production, but felt it was a bit short, else, it’s possible i’m just immersived/punchdrunk’d out.

The drowned man is London’s equivalent of Sleep No More (which i have seen twice).
London was first though, Londoners seem keen of emphasizing.
This is just as impressive a production as the New York version, the story is if possible even more elaborate and i think i could tell at least 4 different tales being told to me during my visit.
Read up on Georg Büchner’s «Woyzeck» before you go, it will just make your visit better.
(or lady mcbeth if you’re off to see the nyc production)
The scenes and the detail of the décor i amazing and they had an aspect of smell that added another dimension. It’s a vast and at points seemingly endless setting. I was walking in one direction in an endlessly deep wardrobe for several minutes and at another time i was crawling through a tunnel covered in sand.
Even coming prepared for the experience, I had to just burst out laughing when after 3 hours of exploring i still kept finding another huge hidden space. Cudos to the set planner and architects — what a maze you have created!
I’d given this production a 5 star review if it wouldn’t have been for the total chaos at the entance and box office. But perhaps that’s too much to ask for if you attend a show that takes more than 500 guests (so we were told, i would not have guessed) per night?
The bar at the end of the show is a nice little thing, and who says no to 5 sterling pound glasses of bubblies? But if you find the bar before the end of the night, go back out on the set, this production is amazing!

I saw Sleep No More in New York and was blown away and am a big fan of the concept. I’ll try to not make this review a full comparison of the two but I’m likely to fail.
The Drowned Man is along the same lines although is a bit less graphic and dark. You’re still in a mask, in silence, exploring an amazingly well designed and considered «set» as you attempt to follow what I found to be a rather confusing story, but I’m not the brightest in the bunch so perhaps you’ll have better luck.
This is more dance focused I’ve found than it is on the drama although there are some very fantastic scenes. As with these types of performances it’s best to go in knowing very little about what to expect so I’ll try to leave it at that. There is meant to be a bar you can stop off at mid way I thought but I couldn’t find it until the end so get your fill from that angle prior to arriving I’d say.
This is definitely worth going to with a good group of folks (expect and try to be separated though). If you’ve seen Sleep No More you may be ever so slightly disappointed but still a great experience. Comfortable shoes are a must.

Anyone who’s been to a show produced by Punchdrunk (e.g. Sleep No More) knows it’s going to be one thrilling choose your own adventure through 5 floors of strobe lights, nudity, frantic chasing, hidden rooms… amongst hundreds of thousands of intricate props to peruse.
Wearing a mask, I scurried (scurry is the best word to describe chasing one character to the next) behind a lady wielding scissors, men having beautifully choreographed dancing fight scenes, all ending in a very meta final scene on a stage.
Take your time to look at the details. Every letter, every locket, every picture is placed there with purpose, and it really shows how much Punchdrunk has invested in their massive production. Wear comfortable shoes, don’t bring a bag, and go with an open mind. You may find yourself taken aside as an accomplice to an act.