SLEEP NO MORE
A VERY CRYPTIC REVIEW OF THE IMMERSIVE THEATRE EXPERIENCE AT THE MCKITTRICK HOTEL
First things first, the McKittrick Hotel, located on a quiet street in Chelsea, is in fact not a hotel. It is a lot of things but not a hotel! Let me take you through our day (with no spoilers, of course!) to give you a better idea of what exactly is going on at this pseudo NYC hotel.
We arrived midday for a gorgeous and very delicious bottomless brunch on the rooftop terrace at Gallow Green. There was live music and a lush green garden scene. The buffet style brunch is lavish and actually does remind you of the 5* hotel breakfast. The champagne mimosas are flowing and it is the perfect NYC brunch spot, in my opinion.
Following a scrumptious meal and a few or so cocktails, we headed downstairs to check in for our ‘showing’ of Sleep No More. Going into this experience, I knew very little — it was an immersive theatre performance with a whole lot of secrecy around it. The name Sleep No More had me assuming a scary or thrilling performance but if I had paid any attention in high school, I would have known that ‘Sleep No More’ is actually a popular line from Macbeth, the play in which this experience is based on.
We were escorted to a coat check and separated from our devices - hence the overwhelming lack of information out there to prepare you for this! No photos, no videos. We were given a card to help stagger our entry into the ‘set’. But first, you’ll settle in to a speakeasy type cocktail bar to await your time!
At showtime, we were given masks to conceal our identity but also to distinguish the guests from the performers. Once in mask, you are an observer within the performance. You can wander the entire set (5 stories!) and look at the props, follow the actors or just explore as you wish. Having this freedom means that everyone’s experience will be completely different. This also means that you could partake in the Sleep No More experience over and over again with a completely different take every single time — as many of you have! I learned after posting on social that most of you who have done Sleep No More have done so multiple times. And I am not the least bit surprised - it is kind of addicting! After finishing our several hour journey through, we immediately wanted to re-enter and do it again.
The biggest questions people have about Sleep No More — besides what is it haha! To describe it, overall I would say something along the lines of an immersive performance/escape room/mystery. What to wear? Something comfortable to move and walk around in. What do I need to do? Nothing - just observe! Is it scary? The set is all pretty dark but nothing is ‘scary’ like jumping out at you! Honestly, the only time I jumped or was jittery was if I was off exploring an area with no one around and then another guest entered the room!
So without any spoilers, just an overall recap, are you willing to try this?
