I’ve been asked this a couple of times and I think it’s almost impossible for me to answer. Sleep No More is, at this point, bound up with the fact that I have seen it nearly sixty times, while The Drowned Man is still entirely new and fresh and exciting. My first five TDM shows were unquestionably better than my first five SNM shows, but I’m not sure how much of that was the thrill of being in a new city and finally seeing a new show after so long.

That said, I think there are undoubtedly things that TDM does better. I had nine different 1:1s while I was there, and they were nearly all of such astonishing scale and emotional intensity that I almost can’t believe they happened. I also really enjoyed the amount of spoken dialogue, much more than I thought I would. The set is breathtaking and seems to go on forever - I’m sure I barely saw half of it despite running like crazy for all five shows. A lot of these strengths are related to the sheer physical size of the space and also, I’m sure, to things Punchdrunk has learned during SNM’s multi-year run.

But there are things about SNM that I prefer, also. I like the Manderley much more than the bar in TDM, though the staff are all friendly and great in both. I don’t really care for the way you enter the space in TDM, and while I did enjoy the final TDM scene, it was startlingly different from the final SNM banquet, and I felt like it took me out of the show, mentally, faster than I wanted to leave. Also, bad audience behavior (especially loud talking) seems to be much more tolerated in London, and I’m not sure why - maybe because the space is too large for stewards to effectively cover it, or maybe because when so many performers speak out loud it seems less taboo for the audience to do so.

Ultimately I’m not sure how useful it is to declare one show better than the other. I will continue to go to Sleep No More, and if I can manage the money and vacation days I will certainly go back to The Drowned Man, so it doesn’t seem to me that there’s much practical difference. The only advice I can give is to see both if you possibly can.

Favorite thing about Sleep No More: ALL OF THEM WITCHES

Least favorite: Emursive

Favorite thing about The Drowned Man: cowboy feelings

Least favorite: the steering wheel in the car is on the wrong side

Ah yes, this question again.

Here are some of the things I prefer about The Drowned Man. Unlike almost everyone else I talk to, I actually enjoy the setting a great deal more than SNM. I am super into all the early 60s cowboy Americana, which shouldn’t surprise anyone who knows about my other obsession. I love the vastness of the show and the sheer scale of the set. I think the 1:1s are unquestionably more spectacular. And I love how often the characters give me whiskey.

Here are some of the things I prefer about Sleep No More. The Manderley is hands-down superior to the Studio 3 bar, and Gallow Green is one of my favorite places in the whole city. SNM is more successful at creating a sense of intimacy between performers and audience, at least in my experience. I love how much witchier SNM is, and I greatly prefer the hanging to the finale at TDM. And I have something like 2.5 years of affection built up for the space and the staff and the cast.

I can’t really choose one over the other, though, and I certainly can’t say with any objectivity whatsoever which show is better. If both shows were in my city, I would split my paycheck between them.