First Look: LANDER 23 by Punchdrunk
- Immersive Rumours
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Photo: Lottie Amor
Groundbreaking immersive theatre company Punchdrunk have revealed first look images of their new project LANDER 23, which is running at their home base in Woolwich until 29th March 2026. A live action video game, LANDER 23 sees the immersive theatre pioneers collide with the world of gaming as never before, as audiences become players in a multiplayer stealth game.
Photo: Lottie Amor
LANDER 23 splits players into two squads - Command (Drivers) and Ground Team (Fields). As the Fields navigate the alien landscape, players rely solely on the voice and guidance of their Drivers, stationed aboard the ship. In the spirit of sustainability and accountability, the company have repurposed the extraordinary world of Troy from The Burnt City - reimagined for this new narrative.
Photo: Lottie Amor
LANDER 23's full description is as follows:
The Lander Division of the Centre for Astrobiology is responsible for exploring the outer realms of the galaxy. No division goes further or deeper into the unknown. Tasked with discovering uncharted territories, exploring the outermost reaches and bringing back valuable data to the mothership. A week ago, the crew of Lander 23 vanished while harvesting a new and valuable energy source. A distress signal, then silence. You are the next crew in. Your mission is clear – continue their job without the same happening to you. Time is not on your side. The environment is treacherous. There are hidden dangers lurking in the shadows. Do not deviate from the mission.
Photo: Lottie Amor
The experience has been conceived, directed & designed by Felix Barrett, with Kath Duggan and Joel Scott co-directing. LANDER 23's game systems have been created by Meaning Machine, who create 'premium, author-driven AI characters that can play meaningful roles in the stories and objectives of their human creators'.
Photo: Lottie Amor
Founded in 2000 by Felix Barrett, Punchdrunk has pioneered a game-changing form of theatre which places the audience at the very heart of the action. Listed amongst the 50 most influential artists of the last 50 years (Sky Arts, 2022) alongside Bowie, Sir Steve McQueen and Vivienne Westwood, Punchdrunk disrupts the theatrical norm, creating worlds in which audiences can rediscover the childlike excitement of exploring the unknown.
Its iconic 'mask' shows, which redefined the genre of immersive experiences, have been cited amongst the 40 creative moments that changed culture (Creative Review), and have found phenomenal success across the globe, with record-breaking productions established in the US, UK and China. Sleep No More in New York played to sell out audiences for 14 years from 2011, and in Shanghai the show has been running since 2016, making it the longest running show in the city’s history. A new staging of Sleep No More opened in Seoul last summer.
The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable broke the National Theatre’s box office records when it went on sale in 2013. Punchdrunk's 2022 London production, The Burnt City, became the company's longest-running show in its home city, coinciding with the opening of its first permanent venue at One Cartridge Place in Woolwich.
Photo: Lottie Amor
In 2024, Viola’s Room debuted in Woolwich, marking a shift from Punchdrunk's signature mask performances. This intimate, barefoot sensory experience distilled two decades of the company's immersive expertise, using binaural sound to create a deeply personal journey. It premiered At The Shed in New York in June 2025.
Punchdrunk’s past theatrical works include: Faust (in collaboration with the National Theatre), Tunnel 228 (in collaboration with The Old Vic), The Masque of the Red Death (with Battersea Arts Centre), It Felt Like A Kiss (with Adam Curtis and Damon Albarn, Manchester International Festival), The Duchess of Malfi (with ENO), Sleep No More (London, Boston, New York, Shanghai), The Crash of the Elysium (Manchester International Festival), The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable (with the National Theatre), The Burnt City, and Viola’s Room.
Photo: Lottie Amor
LANDER 23 is running at One Cartridge Place, Woolwich, until 29th March 2026. Tickets are priced from £38.75 and can be purchased via punchdrunk.com
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