It’s every young artist’s dream, to change the world. But who would have thought that a bunch of students could actually end up leading the way in innovative theatre? Punchdrunk are living the dream, and leading the way.
Punch drunk is a concept that springs from the sport of boxing and is the state of being dizzy or concussed from having been hit repeatedly. Sometimes it takes a few hits to see differently, and that’s exactly what this young Exeter University-born theatre company is doing: thinking differently.
Imagine this: you are driving down a near deserted road. It’s past midnight, mid-week. Suddenly in your headlights you see on the side of the road a man. He appears to be shouting, arms extended out towards you, almost beckoning. As your lights brighten on him you realise this man is not crazy, or begging for a lift. He is bellowing to the wind, to you the driver, and to himself. He is a passionate man, hollering out his monologue – private for you, private for him. Suddenly, he is gone. You have driven on, and the man is lost in the dark of night. He is in fact Felix Barrett, in the performance that sparked the makings of Punchdrunk, back in 1999. But Barrett, one of the founders of this unique theatre ensemble, is far from lost.
Theatre company Punchdrunk (not to be confused with the comedy film collective of the same name), are unswerving in presenting interesting locations and structures as part of their performance art. For instance, their first show, “staged” in the southern English city of Exeter, was presented in a small townhouse with a 13-acre high-walled garden.
This bunch of college students had an idea to extend theatre into a different realm. Punchdrunk performance is driven by the space, in a way that empowers and involves the viewer. Audience members are invited to occupy the chosen building for a performance, just as the performers do. As the story is played out, the actors moving through rooms and corridors, the audience moves with the play. The space, whether inside or out, is transformed through a fusion of installation, lighting, sound, and performance.
Although innovative and brave, a combined audience of less than 40 people saw their first four shows. But from small beginnings come great things. They are now in the middle of a 5-month London season with their latest performance, Faust, so small audiences are a thing of the past for Punchdrunk.
In their production of Faust, held in a creepy street in Wapping, audiences are invited to wander in and out of the main play, traversing their own path through the rooms in an old four-story industrial archive building. There’s no auditorium, stage and seats like a traditional theatre. Artistic Director Felix Barrett says “Audiences can choose to follow the main story – the main arc – or avoid it, and journey into the deep and darkest parts of the building, where no audience members are. That’s where they’ll find the hidden gems of installations and performers.”
Faust is their 15th production and, as proof of their success, is presented in collaboration with the National Theatre, the Arts Council, and supported by building property developers Ballymore.
Property developers and artists might seem like an unlikely combination, but Felix Barrett had approached the owners of a number of abandoned London buildings to use as “theatre” space. He says, “Ballymore were the ones who came forward. They saw the benefits in lending out a dormant space, to have the building occupied, and to allow something great to be created there.” Barrett describes the building in the heart of the Docklands as “epic, bleak, barren and desolate”.
Barratt’s original artistic enquiry was about how to empower an audience. Critics would no doubt agree Barrett’s goal has been achieved, with much acclaim for the production in the national press, which in turn has contributed to building their name from the fringe to the mainstream. Lyn Gardner from the Guardian described the space Punchdrunk created in their last show Sleep No More in the Beaufoy Building, Kennington, as “like entering a parallel universe”. Faust has been rated 5-stars by Metro, the Evening Standard, and the Guardian.
And it’s not only about the unusual venues. Barrett reinforces the impact the audience has on each show: “They are the atmosphere – whether they are timid, or climbing on top of the performers. This is what is so interesting”. And each performance broadens the company’s knowledge and expectations of audience intervention. Barrett explains, “We learn about the relationships of personal space between audience and actor, and how we can break it down. We know when we’re able to pull the rug from underneath their feet”.
Patrons are advised to dress warmly, wear practical shoes, and bring their stamina. They are free to wander the venue as long as they wear a mask, issued at the door. It is a 3-hour production, and the main play runs in two continuous cycles of 90 minutes. Barrett’s advice? “Don’t follow the crowd. Go off by yourself.” And a secret tip: apparently there is a door that, if opened, is immediately locked upon the audience member’s entry, with a one-on-one punter/performer scenario…if you’re brave.
Punchdrunk have certainly lived up to their name. They wanted to create something gutsy, something aggressive with smack down, and they’ve certainly done that. So what next? In mid September in Battersea they will present a new take on the classic story, The Masque of the Red Death.
Faust runs until 31 March 2007 and tickets can be bought through the National Theatre.
