Punchdrunk seeks empty London site for new production

Immersive theatre company Punchdrunk is seeking a circa 40,000 sq ft venue for a new Covid-secure production in London, amid a growing number of leisure offers coming forward to meet post-pandemic demand. The company, known for staging elaborate, full-world sets for its productions, is seeking a vacant building awaiting either refurbishment or redevelopment in zones 1-4. This could involve any property type, from disused warehousing or office space to car dealerships. Punchdrunk is offering temporary guardianship of the site, paying non-commercial rents, for a year. [caption id="attachment_1080932" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] Punchdrunk’s The Drowned Man, which originally opened June 2013, was the company’s  largest theatre installation, covering 200,000 sq ft[/caption] Its tenancies have historically generated more tourism for each borough. Previous productions include The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable, hosted in a disused Royal Mail sorting office in Paddington, W2, and an adaptation of Faust, staged in a derelict five-storey archive building in Wapping, E1W. The upcoming production will not feature any actors or performers but will be mobile app-led, with up to 600 audience members entering the building in small, timed groups per day. The news comes amid rising demand in recent months for experiential leisure formats, particularly in prime locations. Pandemic-led market disruption has resulted in a wave of empty sites and venues for landlords to fill, softening rents for prospective leisure occupiers. Thomas Rose, co-founder of retail and leisure agency P-Three, has observed “big growth in innovative and experiential leisure”, particularly from creative, tech and IP-based leisure concepts. Rose said: “There has been a spike in demand for prime locations because operators are now realising [that] they have an opportunity to secure them where previously they were priced out. “Over the past few months operators have had a call to action – they have become more vocal about their demands because they can [access] these city centre locations. That’s really driving the rise in requirements.” As an example, Rose highlighted that there are least eight active requirements on Oxford Street alone for 20,000 sq ft and above, for leisure uses. He added that, while rents will not reach historic prime retail levels, they are “hitting historic highs” for leisure. To send feedback, e-mail pui-guan.man@egi.co.uk or tweet @PuiGuanM or @estatesgazette Photos: Julian Abrams and Brinkhoff/Mögenburg