The vanguard of immersive scenography and site-specific performance, Punchdrunk, has announced a significant extension of its latest production, LANDER 23. Currently staged at the company’s permanent headquarters in Woolwich, the production represents a sophisticated intersection of live-action performance and ludic mechanics, redefining the boundaries between theatrical spectatorship and interactive gaming.
Conceived and designed by Felix Barrett, LANDER 23 functions as a high-stakes multiplayer stealth game. The narrative framework centers on the Lander Division of the Centre for Astrobiology, an institutional entity tasked with the exploration of extraterrestrial frontiers and the extraction of vital data from unchartered sectors of the galaxy. The experience is predicated on the disappearance of a previous crew during a resource-harvesting mission, leaving participants to navigate a treacherous environment defined by silence, distress signals, and systemic peril.
The production utilizes a bifurcated agency model, dividing participants into two distinct squads: Command, designated as Drivers, and the Ground Team, referred to as Fields. This asymmetrical gameplay necessitates a high degree of collaborative synergy; the Fields must negotiate a hostile, alien landscape while relying entirely on the auditory guidance provided by the Drivers stationed aboard the vessel. This reliance on remote communication serves as both a narrative device and a technical constraint, emphasizing the isolation inherent in deep-space exploration.
Barrett leads a formidable creative cohort, including co-directors Kath Duggan and Joel Scott, alongside designers Livi Vaughan and Beatrice Minns. The sensory environment is augmented by the work of lighting designers Felix Barrett and Sarah Readman, sound designer Gareth Fry, and visual designer Bruno Cordeiro. The complex underlying infrastructure was developed in partnership with the game system creator, Meaning Machine, ensuring a seamless integration of digital logic within the physical realm.
Participation requires a team of four, with each player alternating between the roles of Driver and Field during the approximately ninety-minute duration. The technical requirements include the mandatory use of provided audio equipment, facilitating the essential communication link between the two squads. The experience is accessible to individuals aged twelve and above, with specific supervision protocols for minors to maintain the integrity of the team-based dynamics.
Situated at One Cartridge Place, the production continues to offer a rigorous exploration of tension and environmental storytelling. This extension provides a continued opportunity for audiences to engage with a work that challenges traditional theatrical linearity through the lens of survival and strategic coordination.
LANDER 23 is now confirmed to run through May 10, 2026.
