VIOLA'S ROOM North American Premiere to be Presented at The Shed

The Shed and Punchdrunk will present the North American premiere of Viola's Room, an immersive experience conceived and directed by Punchdrunk founder Felix Barrett. Narrated by award-winning actor Helena Bonham Carter, Viola’s Room invites audience members into an intimate, audio-driven adventure. This production marks Punchdrunk's highly anticipated return to New York City following their groundbreaking, long-running Sleep No More. The limited engagement, 18 week experience begins June 17 at The Shed through October 19.

Written by Booker Prize–shortlisted author Daisy Johnson, Viola’s Room reimagines Barry Pain’s 1901 gothic short story “The Moon-Slave” for a modern audience. The production, with its combination of visual art, storytelling, and audience interaction, delivers a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“Ever since we opened Sleep No More back in 2011, New York has been our second home, so I’m elated that Viola’s Room will have its international premiere at The Shed this year,” said Felix Barrett, Punchdrunk’s founder and artistic director. “It’s the most intimate and distilled form of a Punchdrunk experience we’ve created: an invitation to step inside a teenage daydream and surrender to the unknown. In a non-stop world of screens and tech this is an invitation to succumb to a live, tactile and fully sensory journey. I’m so excited that New York audiences will soon be able to immerse themselves within the labyrinth of Viola’s Room.”

Audience members walk barefoot through the maze-like installation in The Shed’s Level 4 Gallery, in groups of up to six people. Each audience member receives headphones to be guided by the enchanting voice of an unseen narrator, voiced by Helena Bonham Carter, on a surreal, 50-minute sensory journey.

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