Review: Punchdrunk - Lander 23
[Carriageworks || November 5th 2025 to May 10th 2026]
Less a show than an “experience”, Punchdrunk’s latest effort is billed as a “live action video game”, though it most resembles a more thrilling and less irritating spin on laser tag. In the “game”, the audience - if one can call them that - are participants in a space mission, the goal of which is to gather a substance known as “Radiance”, the purpose of which is to… do… something? I don't know, it's all quite hazily defined. Separated into two distinct roles - “fielders” and “drivers” - the audience either attempts to gather the Radiance in a large maze of rooms, tents and winding corridors, or to guide the fielders from the relative safety of a control room, before swapping halfway through to experience both aspects of the game.
Compared to some of Punchdrunk’s previous efforts, Lander 23 feels a little basic and rudderless both in narrative and construction, though the intricate technical work required to make the game work as it does is quite impressive. The atmosphere in both the arena and the control room is heightened, especially as the audience must contend with mysterious “entities” (amateur actors with torches) roaming around the arena trying to kill the fielders, and the game requires a nice mix of teamwork, communication and stealth.
Impressive too is the efficiency of the experience. Though anywhere up to 96 players could potentially be involved in the game at any time, the administration and operation of the experience is smooth and the instructions, delivered via an exposition dump from an unseen character over a headset that all players must wear, are clear and uncomplicated. Any anxiety or concern audience members might have about the game is alleviated by the support staff, who are on hand to guide people to where they need to go, and the best way to experience the chaos is to just throw yourself into it and hope for the best.
This is fun. The plot is gossamer thin and it's difficult to really describe it as “immersive theatre”, but it's an enjoyable workout all the same. And hey, the thrill of being chased around by a bunch of jobbing actors in a smoky, dimly lit warehouse in Woolwich is undeniable.
Tickets for Punchdrunk’s Lander 23 are available here (though the show closes tomorrow…)