Curious about immersive theatre? New York City knows how it’s done. After the smash-hit interactive show Sleep No More debuted, many other Off- and Off-Off Broadway productions have adopted similar “choose your own adventure” storytelling.
At these 13 experimental shows, you’ll wander settings like speakeasies and a gazillion poppable bubbles. Adventurous audience members—whether kids or adults—can even interact with the cast or help solve a mystery. Read on to learn about immersive theatre happening now in New York, where audience participation reaches the next level.
Blue Man Group
Expect the unexpected with the family-friendly Blue Man Group. These iconic blue guys have traveled around the world, but did you know they have a home in NYC’s East Village? Bring your kids for music, comedy, audience interaction, and plenty of immersive elements for the whole audience. Discover the wonder and silliness in store at the Astor Place Theatre. Ages 3+. Open run. 434 Lafayette St., 800-258-3626, blueman.com
Sleep No More
Photo by Robin Roemer.
It’s the show that started it all: Sleep No More. Staged throughout a vintage Chelsea hotel, Sleep No More reimagines Shakespeare’s Macbeth as a noir tale. The first big hit in interactive theatre, Sleep No More has been running in NYC since 2011. Audience members move at their own pace and view chosen scenes for as long as desired. Roam from room to room, and see actors perform surreal and suspenseful scenes (you may even catch a glimpse of celebs like Evan Rachel Wood performing and other famous faces in the audience!). Shake off your spooks with drinks at the on-site Manderley Bar after you’re finished your experience. Sleep No More was created by Punchdrunk and EMURSIVE at The McKittrick Hotel, among the best NYC venues for immersive experiences. Ages 13+. Final show is January 5th! 30 W. 27th St., 212-352-3101, mckittrickhotel.com/sleep-no-more
Speakeasy Magick at The Overlook Bar
Purveyor of amazement and master deceptionist, Todd Robbins hosts a night of up close and personal prestidigitation. This unprecedented night of magic as you've never before seen, features a changing roster of New York City's best magicians. 25 W. 24th St., 212-352-3101, speakeasymagick.com
Hypnotique
In the surreal after-dark experience Hypnotique, spontaneous performances and mesmerizing dancers are accompanied by daring sonic soundscapes. During the performance, an ensemble cast showcases breathtaking live acts amongst the audience, enticing them on a hypnotic journey that delves into the deepest fantasies of the mysterious feminine allure. McKittrick Hotel, The Club Car, 520 W. 27th St., mckittrickhotel.com
Apparitions
Photo from DKC/O&M.
Described as "Three nights of revelry. One party. Three unfolding chapters,” Apparitions presents a trio of one-night farewell parties celebrating the McKittrick Hotel (long-time home to Sleep No More) before it closes its doors forever. Night One is “The Love Letter;” Night Two, “The Fever Dream;” and Night Three is “The Final Masque”. Visit website for a complete rundown of festivities. 1/9 thru 1/11/25. McKittrick Hotel, 530 W. 27th St., mckittrickhotel.com/events/apparitions
Life And Trust
Like a Sleep No More for the Financial District. Life And Trust lets its audience roam freely through its sprawling realms. Beginning on the eve of the Great Crash of 1929 and careening back to the Gilded Age of New York, Life And Trust explores the costs of ambition and desire. From Wall Street tycoons to vaudeville stars, daring scientists to rebellious bohemians, dream-like figures pay homage to the history of New York while exploring both human ingenuity and folly. 69 Beaver St., 646-412-5747, lifeandtrustnyc.com
Coming Soon: Mindplay
MINDPLAY at Arena Stage, photo by Chris Ruggiero.
Created and performed by acclaimed mentalist/illusionist/storyteller Vinny DePonto, who co-wrote the piece with Josh Koenigsberg, Mindplay guides participants on a jaw-dropping, interactive journey as DePonto reads minds while revealing his own. Blurring the line between illusion and reality while investigating the wildly unreliable nature of memory, the show will send audiences reeling into the night. 12/15 thru 4/20/25. Greenwich House Theater, 27 Barrow St., mindplaynyc.com
Speakeasy, Die Softly: Immersive Murder Mystery Dinner Theater
Welcome to the Lou Zar Speakeasy, where both the drinks and the clues are flowing. Speakeasy, Die Softly is the most elaborate comedic immersive murder mystery ever performed by The Murder Mystery Company. The year is 1927, a time of flappers, mobsters, and bootlegging. Listen to some live music, play some casino games, and help flip the speakeasy into a “legitimate Italian restaurant” before the police raid the joint. Enjoy a three-course, family-style Italian feast while solving the murder at Carmine’s in Times Square. 200 W. 44th St., 888-659-2952, newyorkdinnertheater.com
Red Delicious
Accomplice The Show
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Accomplice takes immersive theatre outside to the streets of New York. These comedic experiences occur on a walking tour, creating what Accomplice calls “adventure theater.” Accomplice The Village returns to Greenwich Village on Saturday afternoons (spoiler: you’ll help solve a missing persons case!). Upon request, Accomplice also stages a private event called The Golden Spork that incorporates dinner and a few escape room elements. Open run. accomplicetheshow.com
BATSU! New York
Combining game show, dinner theatre, and comedy, BATSU! New York will infuse your evening with fun and frenzy. The journey begins in the East Village with a speakeasy vibe as you travel through a mural. Then, tuck into a Japanese dinner provided by the restaurant Kogame by Kamehachi. After dinner, watch improvisers compete against each other in a live game show—or join them yourself! If you prefer to spectate, the Sake Ninja can pour you a drink. Must be 16+ to attend and 21+ to drink and participate. Proof of vaccination required. Wednesday through Saturday; open run. 133 E. 4th St., batsulive.com/new-york
Murdered by the Mob
A little merriment, marinara, and murder are on the menu at this dinner theatre show. Murdered by the Mob has been running for three decades (!) in NYC. Solve the murder of Big Pauly Costello, eat a pasta dinner, and dance the night away at this funny mystery show with your family and friends. Ages 8+. Open run. 932 Second Ave., 212-662-7469, murderedbythemob.com
The Dinner Detective Murder Mystery Dinner Show
During The Dinner Detective Murder Mystery Dinner Show you can dine down while tackling a challenging crime. (Just beware, the criminal is lurking somewhere in the room, and you may find yourself a Prime Subject.) Admission includes dinner, murder mystery entertainment, tip, a prize package for Top Sleuth, and more! Bar is available. The Hideout, 22 Warren St., thedinnerdetective.com
A Fairly Odd Musical! The Unauthorized Parody
A Fairly Odd Musical! The Unauthorized Parody is a new interactive comedy spoofing the hit Nickelodeon TV series The Fairly Odd Parents. Written and directed by Brayden Martino with a score by Hudson Keown, the show celebrates the nostalgic cartoons of the 90s and early 2000s, while lampooning the entertainment industry's increasingly ridiculous reboots. Intended for audiences age 16 and older. Jerry Orbach Theater at The Theatre Center, 210 W. 50th St., 3rd Fl., seehumans.com
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS The Twenty-Sided Tavern
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS The Twenty-Sided Tavern is an interactive show in which the audience is the "fourth player," influencing key decisions via browser-based software— you vote on where the story will go. With a cast of five and over 30 playable characters, theatregoers experience an expansive fantasy and face riddles, puzzles, combat, and more, to help shape the story. With humorous and exciting reveals are around every corner, no two shows are alike! Stage 42, 422 W. 42nd St., thetwentysidedtavern.com
Madame Tussauds New York Presents Broadway
The show must go on at Broadway, courtesy of Madame Tussauds Times Square. Inspired by The Phantom of the Opera and other Andrew Lloyd Webber hits, this experience takes guests from backstage to the spotlight. Get glamorous with hair and makeup, compose a custom musical score on the giant floor piano, and hit the stage for a showstopping number. You just might get a glimpse of yourself in Joseph’s technicolor dreamcoat! 234 W. 42nd St., 212-512-9600, madametussauds.com
Drunk Shakespeare
Fans of Drunk History—and the Bard of course—will have a jolly time at Drunk Shakespeare, staged Off-Broadway in the Theatre District. One actor starts the show off with five shots of whiskey as audience members drink cocktails and look on from their seats, cocktails in hand. The show proceeds with one inebriated actor and their scene partners, all of whom perform a Shakespearean play that careens from profundity to absurdity and back (i.e. not all content will be strictly “Shakespearean”). Two VIP audience members sit in thrones and command actors to drink as they see fit. The privileged King or Queen also eats caviar, drinks champagne, and wears a crown. Ages 21+. Open run. 777 Eighth Ave., drunkshakespeare.com
Gazillion Bubble Show
Family-friendly and immersive, Gazillion Bubble Show has run Off-Broadway for 15 years. Kids and adults will be thrilled as the Yang family transforms bubbles beyond imagination. This popular show even gave Ryan Seacrest and Kelly Ripa super-sized bubble wands when Gazillion Bubble Show visited LIVE with Kelly and Ryan! A spectacle for kids and adults, it’s conveniently located in the Theater District, a short walk from Times Square. Open run. 340 W. 50th St., 212-239-6200, gazillionbubbleshow.com
Additional reporting by Griffin Miller.
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