Wynn Resorts’ integrated resort project in the United Arab Emirates, Wynn Al Marjan Island, has announced a landmark partnership with internationally acclaimed immersive theater company Punchdrunk through which an original stage production will be created and debuted with the property’s planned 2027 opening.
The production – to be conceived and directed by Punchdrunk’s Artistic Director and Founder, Felix Barrett MBE, in collaboration with Wynn Resorts CEO Craig Billings – will be Punchdrunk’s first in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region.
According to information from the two companies, the production will be inspired by the spirit of a traditional Las Vegas revue-style show and feature world-class song and dance while “inviting audiences to choose how they experience the story.” Upon booking, guests will be able to select either a traditional seated performance upstairs or a roaming immersive journey downstairs and backstage, where the hidden world behind the curtain is revealed. Each perspective offers a distinct yet complete lens on the same unfolding narrative, the companies explained.
This, they added, represents an evolution in Barrett’s creative practice, engaging audiences in previously uncharted ways by blending performance styles and theatrical worlds as well as audience perspectives to expand what live entertainment can be.
Wynn noted that the theater at Wynn Al Marjan Island has been conceived as a modern interpretation of the classic theater, with architecture that draws on Art Deco influences – boasting rich fabrics, sculpted drapery and grand spaces in order to create a venue that feels both nostalgic and newly imagined. It aims to evoke Hollywood’s golden era and the glamor of 1970s Las Vegas with a contemporary sensibility, immersing guests from the moment they arrive, Wynn added.
“Among the dozens of unique and transportive guest experiences we offer in our resorts, entertainment has always been an essential element,” said Wynn’s Billings. “With Punchdrunk, we are creating something entirely original for Wynn Al Marjan Island. A theatrical world that could only exist here and one that reflects the craft and dedication to artistry at the heart of Wynn.”
Barrett stated, “I’m thrilled that Punchdrunk is partnering with Craig S. Billings and his brilliant team at Wynn Resorts to create a brand-new show for the extraordinary new theater at Wynn Al Marjan Island. We hope the production will deliver a spectacular theatrical experience, both for audiences seeking world-class entertainment and for those in search of something truly unexpected.”
Founded in 2000, Punchdrunk is described as having transformed contemporary theater via its signature “mask” productions, which create immersive, free-roaming worlds where audiences move independently through meticulously crafted environments.
The company’s major productions include The Drowned Man: A Hollywood Fable and Sleep No More, which ran for 14 years in New York with more than 5,000 performances. Sleep No More is currently in the midst of lengthy runs in both Seoul and Shanghai.
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