Opportunity to Become a Free Spirit Exploring 23 Worlds in a Hotel [Weekend Culture]

The ominous phrase 'Sleep No More' is written on the massive 7-story building. As the name suggests, once you enter the building, "it will keep you from sleeping." In the isolated 'Mckitton Hotel', visitors surrender their belongings and are drawn into a 'bizarre world' detached from reality. Due to the dim interior and smoke emanating from all directions, even if you feel your way along the corridor walls, a different time and space unfolds before your eyes.

Upon entering the hotel, visitors have no freedom of choice. Some must take the elevator, while others must climb the stairs. The floors of the elevator are hidden, so you don't know where you will get off.

All visitors, except for the actors, must wear white masks and cannot speak. An actor performs an intensely close-up act solely for one visitor, making it a matter of luck. It's common to miss iconic scenes while being jostled by the crowd.

However, just as life offers second chances, unexpected opportunities arise if you follow the actors again. For instance, although ignored by the bald witch after following her for a long time, you might have an unforgettable experience dancing one-on-one with the boy witch at the ball.

Felix Barrett, the director of 'Sleep No More Seoul' and founder of Punchdrunk, stated at a media conference held on the 20th at the Mckitton Hotel in Chungmuro, Seoul, "Visitors can follow the characters of Macbeth or the surrounding figures and roam the entire building. There is no right or wrong," highlighting the viewing points of this performance.

At the conference, along with Felix Barrett, Park Joo-young, CEO of Miss Jackson, the production company of 'Sleep No More Seoul', Maxine Doyle, co-director and choreographer of Punchdrunk, and others attended. 'Sleep No More', which reinterprets the story of William Shakespeare's tragedy 'Macbeth' in the style of an Alfred Hitchcock film, is considered a work that gave birth to the genre of immersive theater, premiering in London, UK in 2003.

This performance, which has landed in South Korea following New York, USA, and Shanghai, China, features a total of 23 characters. Visitors can freely decide where to go and what to see, roaming the 7-story Mckitton Hotel during the 3-hour performance. In other words, the entire building becomes a stage where visitors can wander and directly see and experience the story. The 'non-verbal' method, where the story is conveyed through the actors' gestures and movements without dialogue, is also a feature. Visitors can watch their gestures from any desired distance. The work includes shocking scenes such as full nudity of the actors. Director Felix Barrett emphasized about immersive theater, "It's not just a performance but creating a world," adding, "This environment is a living, breathing place where visitors can follow and explore the narrative as they wish."

'Sleep No More' is a line from Act 2, Scene 2 of Macbeth. It is considered a key phrase that shows Macbeth's state of mind, engulfed in anxiety and guilt after murdering King Duncan.

Felix Barrett explained, "The title is meant to express Macbeth's belief in superstition, mental derangement, and the supernatural," adding, "It's a title that hopes to convey the ambiguous and magical feeling of whether you are awake or asleep."

Park Joo-young, CEO of Miss Jackson, commented on this performance, "Macbeth is a work that shows the primal desire for human power. To properly show the theme of such a work, it must also be visually presented," adding, "It's a part that no existing Korean performance has attempted. It will be a new stimulus and inspiration for the audience." He continued, "It's not just watching a performance but experiencing it as if you are inside a movie," adding, "I expect that there will be new attempts in the creative fields of domestic production teams as well."

'Sleep No More Seoul', which completed its preview performance, began its main performance on the 21st, with the closing date yet to be determined. Only those aged 19 and over can watch, and the running time is a total of 180 minutes.


rsunjun@fnnews.com Yoo Sun-jun Reporter