If you are here because you are looking for additional information on the goings-on behind the doors of the McKittrick Hotel during ‘Sleep No More,‘ you’ve come to the right place. I wanted to write this post to give those curious minds a little more insight into the plot and storylines throughout the show and a detailed account of my experiences. It really is best to go into the show without too many spoilers, so if you’re planning on attending, I will stick with my spoiler-free guide. But if you are looking for insights into what others saw or won’t be able to attend and are interested in learning more about the experience then read on!
In the show program, it lists a relationship diagram between each of the characters. They are separated into various categories; the Court (which includes all the Macbeth characters), the King James Sanitorium (which are Nurse Shaw, Matron Long, and the Orderly), the Townspeople of Gallows Green (which include Mr. Bargarran and Mr. Futon) and finally the members of the McKittrick Hotel (Catherine Campbell, The Porter and the Bell Hop)
All the Macbeth characters are a little easier to put together. If you’ve never seen or read Macbeth, this little synopsis will help you out in understanding the scenes you might glimpse in on throughout the show. Macbeth is a general in the army of King Duncan, the King of Scotland. One night he is visited by three witches who prophesize that he will become King of Scotland.
King Duncan announces that his elder son Malcolm will become the new King after his death. Until that time he instructs Macbeth to care and guide him. When King Duncan comes to visit Macbeth’s manors, Lady Macbeth convinces Macbeth to carry out the prophecy and kill Duncan. Macbeth carries out the deed even though he is pained to do so. Malcolm flees in fear of his own life, only to be suspected of the killing, therefore allowing Macbeth to inherit the throne.
Banquo, Macbeth’s best friend and a general in King’s army, was privy to the meeting with the witches and suspects Macbeth. Macbeth has Banquo murdered, but his sons escape. Macbeth is visited by the ghost of Banquo, who haunts him. He meets with the witches once more who warn him that MacDuff, another nobleman in the army, is a danger to Macbeth. And he is convinced he must kill MacDuff. Macbeth has MacDuff’s family murdered and his property sized, but MacDuff himself escapes. The heir to the throne, Malcolm, returns to take back the kingdom against the murderer Macbeth.
Meanwhile, Lady Macbeth is slowly going insane, haunted by the ghosts of her actions. The doctors tell Macbeth she cannot be cured. MacDuff confronts Macbeth and kills him, bringing his head to Malcolm, who hails himself King of Scotland.
When the show first started, there were various characters named after characters from the Hitchcock film ‘Rebecca‘. Perhaps for legal reasons, these names had to be changed when the show moved to New York. The second Mrs. De Winter is now Agnes Naismith, and her storyline is a bit different. Mrs. Danvers is now called Catherine Campbell. These names were chosen from the real people who were accused of being witches in the Paisley Witch trials of 1697. Nurse Christian Shaw shares the same name as the eleven-year-old Christian Shaw, the daughter of the Laird of Bargarran, who was the accuser and responsible for seven people’s deaths during the trials.
Mr. Bargarran can also be found in the show, he works as the taxidermist in Gallow Green. We also meet Mr. Fulton. Margaret Fulton was one of the accused and murdered women from the Paisley witch trials and Mr. Fulton is her husband. In the Show, Mr. Fulton is the resident tailor and the cunning man of Gallow Green. A cunning man was a traditional name for the original practitioners of folk medicine. They were thought to be good witches, and Mr. Fulton is working actively against the evil witch Hecate.
I had done my best to list the scenes in chronological order, although some of them happen at the same time, although on different levels of the building. Seeing the entire show in order is practically impossible without visiting multiple times so reading this little play-by-play is a great way to put together anything you missed. Remember, even if you saw it all, the show isn’t meant to be a linear narrative with a perfectly easy to comprehend plot. It’s more like art, open for interpretation and personal reflection. That being said, a little context never hurt anything!
To being the show, Banquo can be found praying at the chapel on the 1st floor, where he sits near a large statue of the Madonna. Banquo, along with Macbeth, have just returned from a successful war for King Duncan. Banquo is thanking the gods for his safe return as he is a pious man. Eventually, Macbeth comes to greet Banquo inside the chapel. The two embrace as best friends (which makes Macbeth’s eventual betrayal and murder of Banquo all the more powerful). The two leave together for the lobby, where they enjoy a few drinks.
The three witches enter the lobby to give Macbeth the all-powerful prophecy. The three witches go by the names; the sexy witch, the boy witch and the bald witch. The sexy witch wears a low-cut, teal dress. The boy witch can be found wearing a smart-fitting 1930s-style suit and heavy eyeliner—finally, the bald witch actually won’t appear bald until later in the show, she is pretty clearly wearing a wig. The “bald witch” is another reference to the 1697 Paisley witch trials. One accused witch, Agnes Sampson, was brought before the King for her supposed crimes. He had her entire body shaved as punishment before she was tortured and finally burned at the stake.
The three witches have to chase Macbeth around the lobby for a bit until he finally resigns to reading the prophecy. Banquo sees this all occur, and when Macbeth is finished reading the prophecy, Macbeth runs upstairs to find his wife. Banquo on the other hand seems a bit disturbed by what he saw and hides away inside a luggage storage room where he performs a dance across the scaffolding.
At the start of the show, you can find Lady Macbeth up in her bedroom, undressed, sitting on the rim of the bathtub. All over the floor are scattered notes from Macbeth. Feel free to go and pick them up to read. The letters detail the witches’ prophecy. As Lady Macbeth sits on the tub, she seems to contemplate the idea that the prophecy details. The idea of Macbeth killing King Duncan to become King himself.
One of the most beautiful parts of this scene is when Lady Macbeth climbs into the nearby dresser, where she disappears and then reappears inside a glass box on the other side. In there, she performs a hauntingly beautiful dance for the onlookers outside. Eventually, Lady Macbeth gets out of the glass box, now dressed in a silk black nightgown. She dances furiously across the room, on top of the furniture, throwing herself around as if possessed. It is impressive to watch as it feels as dangerous as it is sensual.
Macbeth eventually enters as well as the two dance together. As they dance, she begins to press him on Duncan’s murder, and the once romantic dance becomes an aggressive battle. By the end of the dance, it seems as if Lady Macbeth has convinced Macbeth to do the deed, and he walks out of the room in a daze.
The second-floor lobby is occupied by Agnes Naismith (previously the Mrs. De Winters) and Catherine Campbell (previously Mrs. Danvers) at the beginning of the show. The two of them don’t get along, so lookout for a confrontation. Agnes Naismith will sign into the hotel’s registry with her full name so keep an eye out for that to recognize her. She has come to town in search of her missing sister. Although she might have been named Mrs. De Winters from the film ‘Rebecca‘ her storyline is much more similar to that of Lila in the film ‘Psycho‘ who is also on a search for her sister. The Porter will reveal a secret key to Agnes Naismith. This key opens a locked door on the 4th floor of Gallow Green. Follow her to see what she finds up there.
Malcolm, who is King Duncan‘s son, is mainly held up in his Detective’s office on the 4th floor in Gallow Green. The office is called “Mac Crinain & Reid Agency.” Mac Crinain was the King of Scotland in 1034 and was the King who served as the inspiration for Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. The name “Reid” comes from the Paisley witch trials as John Reid was one of the accused.
Malcolm’s Detective agency office is a frenzied room covered floor to ceiling in papers and evidence. There are filing cabinets on every wall, piled up with documents as well as an abundance of stuffed birds. Malcolm is seemingly obsessed with studying dead birds. In the play Macbeth, Macbeth is compared to the “evil bird, the owl, the creepy evil animal that always stares at you”. Perhaps Malcolm’s obsession with birds is his desire to discover the true nature of Macbeth.
In the back of the agency is a dark room filled with photographs of murder victims hanging on a line. Malcolm is not only trying to solve the plot of who murdered his father but he is also obsessed with the mystery of Agnes Naismith‘s missing sister Grace. Being located on the 4th floor, Malcolm is in the presence of the sorceress Hecate. Throughout the performance he is manically trying to solve the question of why these mysterious things are happening in Gallow Green.
Hecate is the all-powerful witch who manipulates Macbeth into his crimes and is perhaps the catalyst for the show’s entire events. She is one of the only characters to wear a bright piece of clothing, a long blood-red silk dress sometimes covered in feathers (another nod to the birds’ theme). Her only goal is to see that Macbeth fulfills his destiny and kills King Duncan. But she also responsible for the darkness which haunts the 4th floor and the town of Gallow Green. At the start of the loop, Hecate struts through the streets of Gallow Green, seemingly resetting each of the characters to the beginning of their loop, under her complete control.
Before the ball, Lord and Lady Macduff return to their apartments. Their velvet-laced apartments on the 3rd floor are covered in talismans, charms and objects of devotion. Lady Macduff is an extremely superstitious person and is fearful of impending doom to her family. It seems to prevent her greatest fears from coming true she has placed these objects all over, almost in an obsessive fashion.
Lady Macduff is furious with her husband for his wandering eye and feels less than wanted in her pregnant state. The two of them dance on top of the stacked shelves and dressers inside their room. They dance all over the rooms, jumping over couches and tumbling on the ground. Fighting, making up, arguing and in the end, proving how much they adore each other (although Macduff continues to love others just the same.)
Lady Macbeth decides to host a ball in honour of King Duncan’s success war. Almost the entire cast gathers in the basement ballroom for this event. Lady Macbeth steps out onto the dance floor, where she is greeted by three menacing-looking people. These are the three witches. Macbeth, dressed in a smart-looking suit, stands on the mezzanine above the dancefloor, looking down at the guests below. The guests dance and mingle with each other. Jazz music from the 1930s plays throughout the room, featuring songs like ‘Tuxedo Junction‘ by Glenn Miller and ‘Sandman‘ by Benny Goodman.
If you find Lord Macduff, you may notice him flirting with various women on the dance floor, save for his heavily pregnant wife, Lady Macduff, who looks on in abject dishonour. His favourite dalliance is surely the sexy witch. Lady Macduff watches from the sidelines and is served a glass of milk by one of the attendants. This is Catherine Campbell, the cruel head housekeeper at McKittrick Hotel. Unbeknownst to Lady Macduff, the drink was poisoned, but she pushes it away. Catherine Campbell is under the thrall of Hecate, and she does her bidding. Tampering with milk was a common practice that many people thought witches would undertake to poison the faithful. So it is not surprising to hear how much-poisoned milk is used by Catherine throughout the show considering her name is taken from an accused witch in the Paisley witch trials.
After the banquet is over and the dancers begin to retire and leave the room, but one person stays behind – the bald witch. Although right now, she still has her wig on. During this hauntingly beautiful scene, the witch dances alone in the spotlight, almost as if by the light of the moon. She is one of the show’s best dancers, doing a plier and dancing almost on point. At the end of the dance, she reveals her bald head. She tosses the wig off to the side, perhaps as a gesture to indicate the beginning of the real evil of the show about to begin. True selves will be revealed…
After Macbeth returns from the ball, he heads to his room to change his clothes and then heads to the nearby graveyard. There, he prays in front of a large statue, resembling the Virgin Mary. He seems to plead with it as if trying to make up his mind whether to kill Duncan or not.
If you are standing in the street in Gallow’s Green, you might catch Hecate running full tilt around the corner. If you follow Hecate from the road, she will lead you to the ruins of the Manderley bar, her personal cabaret. When she arrives, she sits down at the small table off to the side of the room. In the film Rebecca, the Manderley mansion’s first appearance is in its current, burned formed. Only when we flash to the past do we see it as it once was, in its full glory. In the McKittrick hotel, Hecate’s ruined Manderley Bar is perhaps a foreshadowing of her impending doom that she will bring to the Manderley, the McKittrick and all those within should her plan of murder come to fruition.
Sitting on the table is a large silver dinner tray, which she opens to reveal what appears to be a raw human heart inside. She begins to eat the pieces of the heart as uneasy music plays throughout the room. As she puts the last piece in her mouth, she chews it and spits out a plain gold wedding band hidden inside the heart. She will gesture toward someone from the audience and put the ring in their hands. Then she proceeds to walk onto the stage.
The music changes, and the song “Is that all there is” plays on the loudspeaker. A male’s voice half recites, half sings the song as Hecate mouths along to the words. When she steps off the stage, tears are flowing down her cheeks. She slowly walks towards the door where we entered but stops and turns just before leaving. This is when she will reach out to an audience member and take their hand.
I was lucky enough to be blessed with this 1:1 experience. As quickly as I touched her hand, she whisked me off into the darkness, spinning around from corner to corner until we reached a locked door. It was honestly a full-speed sprint! Before entering, she whispered to me, “Do you trust me?” I nodded, and we were thrust inside. She drew a key from her pocket and locked the door behind us, away from the rest of the audience and suddenly it was just her and me. And then, most unexpectedly, she tore off my mask!
The room we were now sitting in was dimly light with candles, but I could still make up most of what was around me. It looked like a fortune teller’s den. The ceiling was covered in antique umbrellas, teacups and ancient herbs. She came towards me and whispered in my ear: “I’ve been waiting for you to come. I was starting to wonder if you were ever going to get here.” She led me over to a plush velvet couch and sat me down. She sat down opposite me in a large armchair, which felt more than just lived in. Like she had been sitting in the same spot for hundreds of years.
On the table between us was a tea set and with two china cups. She grabbed my hands in her and began tracing her fingers over my palms like she would read my fortune. Then she started recounting to me a story of a couple who took a voyage across the sea. As she spoke, she took the teacup from the table and placed it in my hands. She began to pour the water into my cup.
It was a terrible storm,” she said. “They say that devils were seen swarming on the mast, and that’s why the ship sank.” As she spoke she dropped a little paper boat into the water. She spoke of demons that dragged the ship down to the depth. As soon as the boat touched the liquid, the water turned red. She began shaking my hands with the cup still clutched around my fingers. The water spilled all over me. The music was swelling all around the room to match the urgency and danger of the story. “But we know that’s not what happened.” And then, all of a sudden, the room went pitch black.
She pulled me from my seat and, even in the utter darkness, lead me over to another part of the room, she was yelling something, but I couldn’t hear her as wind and rain were pouring down on me. REAL RAIN! She whispered one last thing in my ear, although I could not make it out, and placed my mask back on my face. Then, in a second, she pushed me out a door into another room and slammed the door behind me. In my hand, I was still holding the soggy boat. I tried to reopen the door I had just come through, but it was locked.
I was standing in what appeared to be an apothecary with hundreds of dried herbs hanging from the ceiling and little vials all over the room. There was a couple of audience members in the room already staring at me in utter disbelief as they had no idea where I had come from. Once I left the show and took off my mask, I noticed a kiss mark on my mask, which she had left me with, perhaps marking me for the rest of the evening.
In case you’re curious, the story of the shipwreck is a historical one that left a dark mark on the world and inspired parts of Shakespear’s work. King James VI was engaged to Anne of Denmark, and when he sailed to bring her back home with him, their royal fleet was battered by storms, almost causing the couple to be lost at sea. And one of their vessels was lost to the great seas. It was most likely the impatient newlyweds who were responsible for sailing during such turbulent seas but King James laid all the blame of this storm on witches. His accusations lead to the beginning of the first Scottish witch trials, and over the years the different witch trials in Scotland lead to the deaths of over 400 people.
One of the most talked-about scenes from the production has got to be the Witches Rave. If you are on the 4th floor and hear techno music, head towards it as you won’t want to miss it. I was off doing something else while this was going on, so sadly, I missed it, but my friend’s account definitely was so entertaining to listen to even after the fact. That’s part of the fun of Sleep No More, piecing together the story.
In the same run-down Manderley Bar on the 4th floor, Hecate walks in and begins to laugh as coloured lights and deep bass music begin to erupt throughout the room. The other witches join her in the room, and they all start to dance with abandon. The two female witches tear the clothes of the one male witch and he retreats behind the bar as strobe lights flash above. Suddenly a demon with a goat head and a human body emerge from behind the bar. He is completely naked and covered in blood.
Macbeth suddenly walks in and begins to kiss the demon. The demon brings forth a baby (a toy baby, don’t worry) covered in blood and brings it towards Macbeth. This is a reference to the line in the play, where a bloody child appears to Macbeth and says, “Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn / The power of man, for none of woman born / Shall harm Macbeth.” Overcome with emotion, Macbeth flees the room while the deranged orgy continues without him.
The witch who had placed the goat head on their face removes it and flees from the room shortly after Macbeth. He will lead you throughout the halls into the bathroom, where the shower runs if you follow him. There he changes out of his clothes and collapses in the shower in a fit of tears as he tries to scrub the blood from himself. He will look to you, if you have followed, for help. Those kind enough to offer him some sympathy will get to help him on his continued journey to the final banquet scene.
Back downstairs in the Macduff apartments, Lady Macduff is becoming more and more afraid. She is panicking for the life of her unborn child as if this dark omen is about to come true. Lady Macduff climbs up a tall bookshelf onto an altar near the ceiling. She walks into her child’s bedroom to comfort herself with a small teddy bear. Inside it, she finds a bone that has been sewn into the fabric. She looks horrified to find this. She grabs her suitcase and runs up to the 4th floor to find Mr. Bargarran, the taxidermist. As he is one who studies bones, perhaps he has a clue into what this means? He gives her a note, indicating that she is in danger. At this moment, a bell sounds; elsewhere in the hotel, King Duncan has been murdered.
Lady Macduff heads downstairs with her suitcase and pleads with the Porter. Perhaps she trying to escape Macbeth, but the Porter cannot help her. Distraught, she sits down in the hotel dining room. The tables are flanked by a wall covered in piled salt with a fork and knife crossed floating above them. At the back of the room is one of Mr. Barragan’s taxidermied goats standing on top of an additional pile of salt. Salt is known to be a protective device against evil so perhaps Lady Macduff feels safe here.
Lady Macduff sits at a table as Catherine Campbell approaches and pours her a glass of her poisoned milk. Just as Macduff brings the glass to her mouth Campbell grabs it from her. The two begin to dance to ‘Temptation‘ from the ‘Psycho‘ soundtrack. At the song’s finale, Mrs. Campbell finally gives the milk to Lady Macduff by letting it drip down her arm into her mouth. As Lady Macduff writhes in pain, Mrs. Campbell goes up to their apartment and dances around gleefully at their impending misfortune.
Banquo heads to King Duncan‘s bedroom to find Duncan murdered hidden under a pile of ripped pillows. Banquo screams and picks up a nearby bell to ring to call people to arms. Malcolm and Lord Macduff come to the sound of his screams, and they all grieve at the sight of his body. They each help pick up Duncan’s body and carry him through the crowd and over to Duncan’s chapel. They lay him to rest and wrap in him a funeral cloth. After laying King Duncan to rest, Banquo, Malcolm and MacDuff begin to argue, accusing each other of killing Duncan. Malcolm flees the scene, and Banquo and Macduff head upstairs to the Speakeasy.
Following the boys upstairs to the 4th floor we find them heading inside a cardboard-covered speakeasy. A card game is in progress with Malcolm, Banquo and Macduff all playing against each other. They continue to play the strange game on a loop until Macbeth enters. After Malcolm leaves the card game, he heads back to his Detective agency.
Malcolm and MacDuff flee at the sight of the blood-soaked Macbeth. Banquo stands to face his once loyal friend. The two begin a great physical fight and interpretive dance along the walls and onto the nearby pool table. Finally, Macbeth tosses Banquo over the bar where he is out of sight and picks up a brick. Macbeth proceeds to bludgeon him to death behind the bar, the horrific sounds of the murder being pipped through the room. If you go to find Banquo’s body, you will find he has disappeared. Banquo’s ghost can be found walking out in the street of Gallow’s Green and, for the first time, he will recognize the audience members, as Banquo is now a ghost, just like us.
With her newly discovered key, Agnes Naismith heads upstairs and opens a locked bedroom in Gallow Green. Inside are various things monogrammed with the letter “G” as this is her sister Grace’s old room. Agnes Naismith will mourn inside this room as well as search it for clues. If you find her in here, she might take you for a one-on-one through the Narnia-like closet in the bedroom, which leads you into a secret passageway.
When Macbeth leaves the apartment to kill Duncan, Lady Macbeth appears to go into a fit. She dances like a spider up and over the bedroom furniture like she is possessed by some supernatural being. ‘The Window‘ and ‘The Package‘ from ‘Psycho’ play in the background all throughout the scene.
Macbeth returns from killing Duncan covered in blood. Lady Macbeth baths him like a child in the bathtub in the center of the room. Once he is clean, they head to the bed together and cuddle like children until Macbeth rises once more. Almost robotically, he gets up and walks into the garden. Lady Macbeth is left alone and tries manically to wash the blood from her hands. This is their interpretation of the famous sleepwalking scene where she cries, “Out, damned spot! out, I say!” But instead of words, modern interpretive dance conveys the sheer terror she feels as the waves of guilt crash over her for what they have done.
She then leaves the room and wanders the 4th floor, ranting and raving as she slowly goes mad. Macbeth exits the Speakeasy as she walks the street, after murdering Banquo. He sees his wife in the street. He kisses her passionately, and they take turns laughing and crying in a deranged fashion.
The two retreat back to their bedroom where Macbeth helps Lady Macbeth into her ballgown and the two of them head downstairs to the Ballroom for the finale scene.
This final visit to the Ballroom features most of the characters from the ball at the start of the show but everyone seems decidedly changed. Instead of the joyous dancing, we saw earlier, the atmosphere is a hauntingly bleak affair. A long banqueting table sits on the raised platform and each of the characters enters to sit in their designated seat. As they gather, they moved in slow motions, gesturing to each other in a vignette that resembles the last supper.
The dance floor across from the table, which was previous filled with people, is now filled with trees. Each of the trees seem to move on their own, almost dancing. In the play, Macbeth sees Malcolm’s soldiers approaching through Birnam Woods. Each soldier holds a branch in front of their body, which makes it appear to Macbeth as though the forest is moving, as if possessed. This drives him even further into his madness.
The murdered Banquo enters the room, covered in blood and points accusingly towards Macbeth. Lady and Macbeth sit on either end of the table. They blow, what feels like one final kiss to one and the other. Suddenly the blue lights in the room turns green, and all eyes turn accusatorily towards Macbeth.
The banquet ends with each of the guests dispersing in different directions on the first and second loop. But in the finale, we see a very different ending. More on that later…
After the final banquet, Lady Macduff retreats in fear to the hotel’s lobby, pleading with the Porter, arms full of suitcases and belongings. This is the moment when she is set to flee in fear of Macbeth. The Porter one last time refuses her. She slinks away to the corner of the room near the telephones where she rifles through some drawers until Lady Macduff finds a baby blanket that she cradles in her arms, almost as if she knows Macbeth has already reached her family and killed them.
When she looks in the mirror, see for the first time see the reflection of the masked audience reflected back at her. She acknowledges our presence and in this moment goes into a fit of madness. As she scream, she doesn’t notice Macbeth entering the room. He comes up behind her, and proceeds to beat her to death in front of us. She cries out for help, but the dead is done, and her body is left lifeless in the lobby.
Many people at this point chased after Macbeth but I stayed with her. Her death scene was so shockingly brutal that I was left in total horror, even if a part of me knew what I had seen wasn’t real. I didn’t even know what I was doing when I knelt down beside her to see if there were any signs of life. I had followed her throughout many points of the show and really grown fond of her. At this point, her husband, Lord Macduff, ran in to find his dead wife on the ground. He screamed and knelt down to cradle her body in his arm and sobbed without abandon.
After a moment, he turned to look at me, and the two of us helped move her to the couch. He placed her head on my lap as he wept on the floor. This was the most intimate and moving moment of the show, and I’m not ashamed to say I shed a few tears myself.
After the banquet (on the 1st and 2nd loop) Nurse Shaw will lead the now almost catatonic Lady Macbeth to the 5th floor and place her back inside St. James Sanitorium. She brings her into the rooms with all the tubs and removes Lady Macbeth’s blood-soaked ball gown. Nurse Shaw tries to wash off all the blood in the bath but Lady Macbeth still seems horrified to see the blood still on her hands. She thrashes around in the tub, splashing water all over the place, onto your feet if you are too close and all over the floor. If you want to console her, Lady Macbeth will take your hand as a gesture of kindness. After calming down, Lady Macbeth gets up to wander back down to her bedroom on the third floor, where her loop will begin once more.
Macbeth stands on the table as a noose is lowered down and placed on his head, almost like a crown. Macbeth seems to have one moment of clarity as the noose is tightened around his neck and cries out “No!” before Malcolm pushes the chair out from beneath him. The lights go dark, and the only sound is the deafening crack of the noose crushing his neck. When the lights return, Macbeth’s lifeless body is seen hanging from the rafters, unmoving, bringing an end to his terror.
I was fortunate during my performance to visit the elusive 6th floor. I didn’t know until after the show what an amazingly lucky experience this was. Wandering around the 5th floor during the show’s final half-hour (although I didn’t know that at the time) I noticed one of the nurses sitting on the floor, beside a suitcase, close to the corner of the staircase. She looked like she had been crying, so I went right up to her and knelt down to look at her right at eye level as if to get a hint to what was making her so sad.
As soon as she noticed me, we locked eyes, and it was the most intense eye contact. In a flash, she grabbed my hand and started to run towards the stairs. A few other people saw what was going on and began to run with us. When we got to the stairs to the 6th floor, the black mask (one of the show’s ushers) who had been blocking the entrance the entire time moved aside and let us by. When the group of audience members running behind us tried to get by as well, he stopped them. So it was just the nurse and myself walking up the stairs. We got up to the top floor, and she closed the door behind us. And in a moment my heart just stopped.
We were standing in this HUGE empty room. She took off my mask and got so close to my face. I thought she might kiss me. She whispered gently in my ear, “I can’t believe you’re here. You look like you always did.” The lights all went out, and when they came back on, the nurse was standing on the very opposite end of the room in a different outfit, standing in front of an antique wicker wheelchair. She pushed it towards me and gestured to me to sit down. I was literally shaking but didn’t want to disobey. I sat down in the chair, and she began to push me into another room. Suddenly I heard a loud voice above me, “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again…”
The thin hallway she was pushing me through was illuminated with red lights. I thought I felt funny, but then I realized that the wheelchair was lowering down into a flatbed. Just as soon as I was being pushed in a wheelchair I was being pushed in a rolling bed! My eyes were now staring right up at the ceiling. I started to panic a bit, but the nurse gently put her arm on my shoulder to tell me I would be ok. Instinctively I trusted her and didn’t fight anymore. I honestly thought I was on drugs. It was so surreal.
The ceiling was covered in an upside-down diorama. The first part was a thicket of trees, and then we approached this gorgeous mansion on fire. I would smell and hear the crackle of the fire. As we approached the end of the hallways, the nurse whispered in my ear, “You can never return to Manderley again, but sometimes, in my dreams, I return to those strange days.” And then the lights went black.
When the lights came back on I was alone in a small room, with an open door. When it went through and closed it behind me, it was locked, and I had no other choice but to walk back down the stairs where a black mask ushered me back onto the 5th floor. I was utterly shocked. It honestly took me a minute to stop feeling lightheaded. The 5th floor was empty, so I wandered back downstairs to see everyone gathered in the Ballroom for what was the very last scene (which again, I had no idea was the final scene).
Instead of watching from the balcony, I took a seat in the hotel lobby to catch my breath. I listened to the music playing in the other room. When the crescendo finished, the entire group of audience members filtered out and were lead back into the Manderley Bar by a few of the actors. It was only then that the realization that the show was done washed over me. And I had missed the finale! But I had gained such a fantastic and unique experience. I found my friend who I had attended the show with and she was shocked and in disbelief of what had happened. We glamoured to get out and grab a drink so we could discuss everything that had just happened to each other.
We headed up to the Gallows Green rooftop bar for a few drinks. She told me all about the final preformance in the Ballroom and regaled me with stories of what she had experienced (which I had never even caught a glimpse of!) It was honestly just as a fun talking to each other about our experiences as it was to have really experienced them! I think that is one of the real joys of the show. We honestly wanted to go back right away, but alas, that will have to wait for another trip. Until we can one day return to Manderley, it will live in my dreams, like a haunted memory that floats to the surface. I feel so lucky to have experienced it and cannot wait to return.
Many people might think they want to follow Macbeth the entire time for their first visit. I would actually argue he is one of the least exciting storylines. If you follow any of the other Macbeth characters, you will run into him from time to time anyway.
If you don’t feel like running after any actors and prefer to explore the different levels but still want to see the show, stick to floors two (the Hotel Lobby) and 4 (Gallow’s Green), so much action happens there.
Don’t be pushy and crowd the actor’s space. This will come off as super obvious. The goal of the show shouldn’t be to get a 1:1. The goal should be to be so invested in what is happening and connected to the characters, you earn the 1:1. People who just seek the 1:1 but don’t care about the story won’t get as much from the experience as they won’t have as much context as to the meaning behind it. Wear something bright or easily identifiable even in the dark. This will help the actors pick you out of the crowd if you have been following them for a few scenes. I wore some really shining and eye-catching makeup as well which I think really helped convey my emotions through my eyes to the actors.
I hope this guide helps you make the most of your trip to the McKittrick Hotel! Please share your experiences or other tips in the comments to help the next set of adventurers follow the breadcrumbs toward Manderley.
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Wow. thank you so much for your effort in this article.
From someone who is extremely interested in the show but won't be able to see it for a long time, I'm super grateful!
Thanks Harrison! That's exactly why I wanted to write it, plus once you'll be able to see the show I'm sure you'll find so many new and exciting parts and aspects of the show unique to your experience.
Thanks SO MUCH for this! Going tonight and this has made me extremely excited (and a little nervous) LOL.
You are very welcome! Being a little nervous is all part of the fun. Have the greatest time and let your curiosity lead you! Please let me know how you enjoyed it. I'd love to hear about your experience and what you saw since everyone's journey is different!
Hi Laura,
I am going to Sleep No More for a second time. The first time, I followed MacBeth for his entire track. I personally like having some direction and not feeling lost. Can you suggest another character I can follow, to get a different perspective/story? Any guidance would be MUCH appreciated!
Much Thanks!
Rick
Hi Rick!! Thanks for your comment. I would definitely recommend following one of the witches. Their scenes are super intense and interesting but depending on how much you saw them when you were with MacBeth you might want something more different. Lady MacDuff has a great, heartbreaking storyline and unlike Macbeth, I actually find she really likes interacting with the people who follow her as she (in character) is desperate for some attention. Lady MacDuff is in the MacDuff apartments at the start of the show, she's pregnant so easy to spot.
If you'd rather explore someone totally separate from the Macbeth plot, you should find Agnes in Gallow Green at the start of the show. She is looking for her sister so she really has a mission about her during the show which is very fun to be a part of. She mainly stays away from the Macbeth plot so it's a very different track to follow. It's also short so you could spend one loop with her and then if you saw something interesting along the way you'll see when Agnes starts her loop once more so you can move on to someone else. But if you only followed Macbeth, Agnes is a great choice to explore more of Gallows Green.
Hope this helps! Please let me know how it goes! :) I love hearing people's Sleep no More stories.
Hey Laura,
I can't believe you got back to me so quickly! I am AMAZED at how thoroughly you've immersed yourself in this, it must be very rewarding - I'm jealous! To be honest, the whole thing is a bit intimidating, wanting to get the most out of the experience, not wanting to WASTE time, feeling that you are missing out on important things. That's why I was looking for some direction.
I will try to follow one of your suggested characters, if I can FIND them! Unfortunately, we are not arriving at the start - our entry time is 8pm.
I assume that Lady MacBeth is too similar to MacBeth? Also, what about Hecate?
Thank you SO MUCH for getting back to me!
I'm going on Friday - I'll let you know how it goes.
All my best!
Rick
I would say yes Lady Macbeth is pretty similar to Macbeth but if you are drawn to her don't let that stop you. Hecate I consider one of the witches and she is amazing. That being said she moves FAST so you'll have to do a lot of running to keep up with her. Hecate also tends to constantly draw a big crowd so if you're looking for a little bit more of an intimate experience you might have trouble with that depending on what the crowd is like. Agnes' storyline crosses over with Hecate multiple times so following Anges will lead you to Hecate anyways.
Honestly, you are super excited and passionate and curious so you'll have a great time. Don't stress about NEEDING to see something or you'll get too caught up in the chase and miss out on the experience.
If by the third loop find yourself having explored and followed most of the characters you were interested in my advice would be to go to the fifth floor / the sanitarium. While this floor doesn't have the most action it's a great place to explore and if you see a nurse on her own, follow her and look curious. I had the best 1:1 experience up right towards the end of the show and I swear it was because I was the only one up there. But I would only do that if you've exhausted the other experiences as I do find the 5th floor can be a little dead (no pun intended) during the expanse of the show.
Hi Laura,
Just want to let you know that I got your second communication, and I thank you. I'll probably try to follow Lady MacDuff or Hecate, if I can find them! I MAY have to do this a few more times, I can't imagine how many times YOU have been there! I'll let you know how it goes!
All my best,
Rick
Hey Laura,
I went on Friday night and I LOVED it! I had an entirely different experience - other than the ballroom and the banquet scenes, I don't think there was ANYTHING from the first time that I saw the second time! I found Lady MacDuff immediately, in the middle of her loop. I followed her then for most of her track. Devastated when she was killed! I was surprised at how much running around I did, even with THIS character! Next, I hooked up with Hecate and saw the tear-getting scene, but then I LOST her when she went in for a one-on-one, and never saw her again. I came immediately upon DUNCAN, as he was being shaved and dressed, and followed HIM - through the poisoning and smothering - and beyond (I didn't leave after he was dead, maybe (probably) I misinterpreted what happened next - it seemed like he was, as a ghost, revisiting the places before - the ticking clocks, the poisoned glass - am I right?). I followed HIM to the banquet scene for it's final incarnation (followed Lady MacDuff there, the first time) and then after the hanging, I was led off by Lady MacBeth - she grabbed my hand and we ran back to Manderley Bar. Earlier, I had TWO one-on-ones (can't BELIEVE it!) - first with the nurse in the woods, who took me inside her hut, poured tea, told me a disturbing story about a little boy, and then rocked violently back and forth, me holding on to her. The second one was with DUNCAN, who when we were alone summoned me over by holding out his hand. I sat next to him, held his hand, and he WHISPERED into my ear, something about "the spirit of God be with you." I never even came UPON the MacBeth bedroom/bathtub, the cemetery, the RAVE.
I want to go BACK. And maybe follow one of the witches!
All my best!
Rick
RICK THIS IS AMAZING! Thank you so much for following up! I got so much joy over reading this. So glad you got to follow Lady MacDuff's storyline, it's so heartbreaking but so moving! Ah the Duncan poisoning scene! I've never gotten to see that part yet so I'm very jealous, I always seem to miss it since its right at the start. But yes you are right! He comes back as a ghost to haunt the characters. I love the one-on-one with Duncan, so intimate. The medieval people saw kings as God's representative on earth. So Duncas (who was the King before his death) would have been that godly figure so it doesn't surprise me that his line was about God. But what a show for you, TWO ONE-ON-ONES! Honestly if you've seen the rave, bathtub and cemetery scene before it's so good to experience something different. And sounds like you had a truly immersive experience with everything! I really hope you get to go back soon!
I was lucky enough to see the show just once, several years ago. I wish I'd seen this account at the time, it would have helped! I loved the experience, but missed so much - impossible to take everything in on one visit, which is all I could manage, as a visitor to NYC (and indeed to the USA). Anyway, thanks for a brilliant run down. It brought back some memories, and made me sad for the stuff I will never get to experience.
I did go to The Drowned Man twice on a later visit to London, but still felt I had missed so much of what was waiting to be discovered. I love Punchdrunk's work.
Oh I wish I had been able to go and see the drowned man!!! That's incredible you got to see it twice! Thanks for your lovely comment honestly writing the post was my way of preserving those memories for myself and I love that people get so much out of reading it to this day to bring their own memories back as well. Cheers!
I went on Sunday. And ever since, I have not been able to stop thinking about the experience! I feel like I just barely saw what there is to see, I did happen to get a 1:1, which was so special. It opened my eyes to another way of telling a story. I feel so lucky to have gone and I am already trying to plan a trip back!
Thanks for this! Saw the show this afternoon— honestly felt a bit lost as to what we had seen/experienced and it was super-interesting to sort through it all with your article afterwards. Actually made the experience a great deal more enriching!
I am going to see this show tomorrow night (Dec. 7, '23) and could not be more excited! I will be attending with my wife who is not much of an extrovert wile I am. I worry that she might become too frightened to follow me down any of the many rabbit holes there seem to be with this show. Any tips on what I can do to help her enjoy it even if I am much more involved?
Hi - what did you think? Any tips? I am going in early Feb 24.
Hi - this is incredibly helpful Laura. I saw the show in 2019 and missed almost all the action. So going back in Feb before it closes. I really, really wanted to see the bath-scene, their dancing and the rave. I have a 2:45pm entrance so where should I go right away please? Thank you in advance.
Hi Sarka, I JUST returned from seeing the show one last time before it closes. If you have a 2:45pm entrance, be sure to line up at 2pm, as the line was huge when I arrived at 6:15 for a 7pm entrance. Once you're inside you'll most likely entre around the start of the second loop so I recommend finding MacBeth asap as he is in both the bath scene and rave (for a portion). MacBeth starts his loop in the ballroom but quickly moves to the lobby (2nd floor) before going to his living quarters on the third floor (where the bathtub scene is). Once you find him just stick with him for your first loop as you'll follow a large portion of the story (but be aware his crowds are large so you might be a bit cramped.)
Thank you so much Laura - will do that for sure.
Hi again - one more question if you don't mind: So either way I should try and find the ballroom first? Do they normally lead you off on a floor where some sort of action happens? I just really don't want to repeat what happened to me last time where I almost saw nothing and just wandered around empty hallways. Happy to follow anybody, just as long as I see some more scenes this time .....
It really depends because if you enter the ballrooms during a time when characters aren't in there you don't want to be just waiting around. I would try to find one of the MacBeth characters upon arrival and just follow them on their loops and once you start following them till the end, you will finish in the ballroom where you can choose another character to follow from there. I understand the frustration around wanted to see more scenes but try not to get too focused on finding "the right person" to follow as you might waste precious time just looking for them or the right spot. Give this post a read as it will give you a better idea of the characters desriptions/locations so when you find one you might have a better understanding of who it is https://beyondthelines2016.wordpress.com/2016/01/02/snm/
Will do exactly that! Thank you so much again!
Hi Laura - I went yesterday and thanks to all of your advise, I had an amazing time this time around. No 1on1's but that was fine as I enjoyed everything so much. A few things that will always stay with me: Banquo's praying in the chapel is so moving and beautifully choreographed. The banquet scene is so haunting and it looks like you are watching a slow motion movie. Lady MacBeth danced 2x behind the glass yesterday and the 2nd time was when she put on her ballgown before the final scene - what an amazing dancer. You were also right about Hecate's solo dance - I was lucky to see it 2x - just mesmerizing. The actress who played Lady Madcuff was incredible and her story is so sad! I am sure I forgot to mention other things but I am just so glad I went after reading everything you wrote, as it truly made it soooooooooooooooooooooooooo much more enjoyable. Thank you again Laura and hope you get to go one last time before it closes. Sarka
Going for my 18th and final visit to the McKittrick on Wednesday. Was at the preopening show. Can't believe it's over.
Wow - amazing. What were your top 1x1's?