Punchdrunk : an account of their immersive form of theatre

Abstract

This dissertation introduces and discusses the work of English theatre company Punchdrunk, with special reference to its production The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable (2013-14). The performance is used as a case study to highlight the company’s site-specific work and its immersive qualities. To this end I engage a methodology-blend that includes published material, personal fieldwork at Temple Studios (the site of The Drowned Man), and online interviews with artistic director Felix Barrett and choreographer Maxine Doyle. My fieldwork research consists of a descriptive and analytical account of my experience of the production as an audience member, specifically my relationship with the space, the performers, the fragmented plot, and a masked audience. The insights generated from this research study can serve to throw light on the ways in which other performance phenomena that can be termed ‘immersive’, such as interactive and participatory theatres, which may have implications on theatre practice.