The groundbreaking immersive theater production "Sleep No More" has officially opened in Seoul, transforming the historic former Daehan Cinema into a sprawling seven-story theatrical experience. Created by British theater company Punchdrunk, this $18 million production reimagines Shakespeare's Macbeth through the lens of an Alfred Hitchcock noir thriller, inviting audiences to explore multiple simultaneous narratives across the meticulously designed McKittrick Hotel.
In the dimly lit rooms of this labyrinthine venue, audiences become witnesses to the most secretive moments unfolding before them. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth whirl in frenzied dances, consumed by vaulting ambition, as spectators watch mere feet away. When Macbeth storms out to carry out murder while Lady Macbeth remains behind in her madness, masked audience members must choose their own path. Some follow Macbeth into his descent toward bloody deeds, others linger with Lady Macbeth in her unhinged solitude, while still others wander into entirely different rooms and stories.
This freedom of choice forms the core of Sleep No More's revolutionary approach to theater. The production, which premiered in London in 2003 before running for over a decade in New York from 2011 to 2023 and continuing in Shanghai since 2016, completely abandons traditional theatrical conventions. There is no dialogue, no assigned seating, and no single narrative path. Instead, the tale of ambition, murder, and madness unfolds entirely through dance, gesture, and movement as audiences roam freely from scene to scene.
"Immersive theater is not just a show. It's creating a world, and we plunge the audience into the epicenter of that world," explained co-director Felix Barrett during a press conference on August 20. "Once they're in, it is a living, breathing environment where the narrative unfolds around them and the audience is free to explore it in any way they want." Barrett emphasized that this freedom is central to both the show's mythology and its unique thrill.
The Seoul production features 23 performers who enact a complex web of secret subplots and interwoven narratives. These stories repeat in one-hour loops three times throughout each performance, allowing audience members to experience entirely different perspectives on subsequent visits. Spectators can spend their evening following a single character or several different ones, venture into chilling cemeteries, explore psychiatric wards, or wander through detailed street scenes filled with shops.
Every element of the seven-story McKittrick Hotel has been meticulously crafted to support this immersive experience. The 25 billion won production cost went toward creating detailed rooms that evoke 1930s Scotland, complete with worn furniture, faded letters, and carefully placed props. Audience members are encouraged to sift through desk drawers, examine bloodied bathtubs, and piece together their own understanding of the story. Each room silently testifies to this dark reinterpretation of Shakespeare's classic tragedy.
"It's like being inside a film. It's not about watching, but about experiencing," said Park Ju-young, CEO of Ms. Jackson, the company that brought the production to Korea. The creative team designed the performance so that the more actively audience members explore, the more scenes and stories they uncover. "If there were a tagline for the show, it would be 'Fortune favors the bold,'" Barrett noted. "What we ask our audience to do is to explore, and we've hidden a whole bunch of secrets inside this building that only the most curious will discover."
Safety and crowd management concerns were addressed during the press conference, particularly regarding situations where spectators might crowd around central figures like Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Park explained that ticketing is capped to ensure both comfort and safety, and the company expects audiences will naturally spread out as repeat viewings increase. "There are so many fascinating characters beyond the leads," she noted. "Once people come back a second or third time, they'll begin exploring other perspectives."
Barrett added that crowded scenes actually serve a purpose within the show's design philosophy. "If a scene does feel too busy, that's fine and you can use that as a prompt to go off and explore another part of the building," he explained. "I like to think of it as always having a counterweight. If there's a busy scene happening in one area, then the other half of the building will have a secret waiting for someone brave enough to discover it."
The McKittrick Hotel will remain open for Seoul's Sleep No More until further notice, with admission restricted to adults aged 19 and over. This age restriction reflects the mature themes and intense psychological elements woven throughout the production. With no two journeys being alike, the production promises a completely unique experience for each visitor, encouraging multiple returns to uncover the full scope of its hidden narratives and secret moments scattered throughout the seven-story theatrical world.
