Punchdrunk are returning to London for the first time since 2014 with The Burnt City. Following a break from the capital, with sell-out international productions and their award-winning foray into TV, with The Third Day, the company are back in their home city to premiere their first major new show since The Drowned Man.
“As the smoke soars on wings to heaven, so sinks our city” In the smouldering promise of the fall of Troy, a mythical world of Gods and mortals rises from the ashes. As Greece teeters on the brink of victory, the neon backstreets of Downtown Troy give way to a sprawling labyrinth hiding secrets even the prophecies could not foretell.
In this colossal playground, the furies watch on as mortals play out their fate. And as night falls, the city comes alive. One last time. On their own theatrical adventure, audiences are free to explore this dystopian landscape – taking them from the majesty of royal palaces to the pulsating underworld of Troy.
Audiences may choose to follow the characters who emerge from the shadows, saturate themselves in the show’s shifting atmosphere, or break free of the crowd and discover mysteries lying in wait at the heart of the labyrinth.
A limited season is on sale until 28th August 2022 with previews commencing on Tuesday 22nd March in the company’s new home at Woolwich Works. The official opening will be on Thursday 21st April and tickets go on sale to the general public on Wednesday 8th September at 10am.
The Burnt City will be Punchdrunk’s most ambitious production to date, opening in the wake of long-running international productions Sleep No More in New York and in Shanghai (where it has been playing to sold out audiences since it re-opened in June 2020 following a Covid pause).
The production reunites the creative team behind Sleep No More and features a cast of international performers, including original members of the first Punchdrunk shows. The Burnt City will take place in the company’s new home in Woolwich Arsenal – taking over three Grade II Listed Buildings as part of the Royal Borough of Greenwich’s new creative district, Woolwich Works.
This will be the first time some of the buildings have ever been opened to the public. The epic size of these buildings offers the company a scale never before seen in a Punchdrunk show with vast heights and over 100,000 square feet of space. Alongside the production, the buildings will be the permanent home for Punchdrunk, as the company develops new works across theatre, TV and gaming.
Punchdrunk is committed to working with the local community including running community events and partnerships with local arts and community groups in the borough, offering support, learning and resources.
Performance schedule and ticket information can be found here
