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Punchdrunk is a British theatre company, formed in 2000, the pioneer of a form of "immersive" presentation in which the audience is free to choose what to watch and where to go. This format is related to "promenade theatre".
The company's artistic director is Felix Barrett, and its executive director is Colin Marsh. Company members include associate director and choreographer Maxine Doyle, enrichment director Peter Higgin, producer Colin Nightingale, sound and graphic designer Stephen Dobbie and design associates Livi Vaughan and Bea Minns.
In a Punchdrunk production, audience members are free to roam the performance site, which can be as large as a five-story industrial warehouse. They can either follow the performers and themes (there are usually multiple threads at any instant) or simply explore the world of the performance, treating the production as a large art installation.
Former Secretary of State for Culture James Purnell cited Punchdrunk as an example of "access and excellence" in modern British theatre.
Lyn Gardner in her review in the Guardian of Punchdrunk wrote.
“ Punchdrunk's shows are always a bit of a puzzle. Those with a detective's frame of mind can indulge in a treasure hunt created by Gideon Reeling and a mysterious BAC artist called Coney. The clues are hidden throughout the show and will lead those who seek to a treasure buried somewhere in London. If you want to take part, here's a clue: make sure you read Poe's story The Gold-Bug before you go. “
And here is a part of Anne Glusker of The New York Times review.
“ WHAT if you went to the theatre and there were no seats? What if you could meander with no guide or direction — from one room to another, and one plot to another? And after sampling a few scenes, you could then repair to the bar, order a drink and listen to a twanging honky-tonk band?
That’s what it’s like to watch “Faust” in an old warehouse down by the docks in the formerly derelict London neighbourhood Wapping when it’s put on by a theatre company called Punchdrunk. There’s a Faust and a Mephistopheles, but a very little narrative of the usual sort. Call it a performance piece, call it an installation, call it promenade theatre as the British do, but whatever the label, it’s likely to leave a profound impression. It’s theatre for the interactive age. But instead of moving a cursor, you simply move yourself, choosing whatever character you want to follow, whatever sound intrigues you, whichever enticing corridor you are drawn to explore. “
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Here are few videos reflect some of their work.