Punchdrunk on the Classics: A History

Punchdrunk frequently use classical antiquity as a springboard within their artistic practice. Many of the company’s now-trademark innovations were developed during experiments with Greek literature, and the company’s conception of the role of their audience has been theorised with reference to character types in Greek tragedy as well. This chapter provides a historical overview of the role of classical antiquity within Punchdrunk’s body of work. It includes an introduction to The House of Oedipus (2000), Kabeiroi (2017), The Oracles (2017), and Maxine Doyle’s Deo for the Martha Graham Dance Company (2019). It also touches upon the company’s non-realised 2010 production The Fates and the Furies, and the classical connections of the Punchdrunk mask. I suggest that Greek literature represents a source of unparalleled significance within Punchdrunk’s practice, which has been crucial to the company’s development and to the thinking of its lead creatives.