BWW Flashback: Heighten Your Senses with a Look Back at Donmar Warehouse's BLINDNESS

A whole year after theatres in New York City went dark due to the pandemic, comes a literal glimmer of light- a new off-Broadway show. But what is Blindness all about?

Based off of Nobel Prize-winner José Saramago's dystopian novel, written by Tony Award winner Simon Stephens, and directed by Walter Meierjohann, Blindness is a socially distanced sound and light experience. Through spellbinding storytelling narrated by Olivier Award winner Juliet Stevenson, it unveils the gripping story of a world changed forever in the blink of an eye, reminding us that from the darkness, we will all emerge stronger.

Stephens chats more about the concept in the podcast below:

The show arrives via the acclaimed Donmar Warehouse, where it garnered glowing reviews and brought appreciative patrons together to witness its urgent and timely message. Just as it was presented in London, attendees in New York will hear the narrative unfolding around them through binaural headphone technology while surrounded by immersive lighting and atmospheric design, and experience together - safely - the importance of community in our present moment.

Read BroadwayWorld UK's review!

The creative team for Blindness includes Ben and Max Ringham (sound designers), Lizzie Clachan (designer), Jessica Hung Han Yun (lighting designer), Markus Potter (US associate director), Chris Cronin (US associate sound designer), Gina Scherr (US associate lighting designer), Professor Hannah Thompson (UK production consultant), and Sara Aniqah Malik (UK resident assistant director). Watch a trailer of their work in action:

Blindness will begin performances on Friday, April 2 at the Daryl Roth Theatre (101 East 15th Street at Union Square East) as one of the first performing arts events to open in New York City. How will the theatre (pictured below) accommodate audiences in the wake of the pandemic?

In accordance with New York State's recently released guidelines for arts and entertainment venues, the Daryl Roth Theatre has been transformed to accommodate socially distanced seating at a maximum of 50 people per performance. All tickets will be sold in two-seat pods, enabling two people in a social pod to be seated together, 6 feet away from other pods. In pre-COVID times, the venue has hosted up to 400 people for non-traditional events such as De La Guarda, Fuerza Bruta, and In & Of Itself.

Tickets are now on sale for the open-ended engagement at www.BlindnessEvent.com. There has not yet been word on when Broadway shows might return. Performances have been suspended through May 30, 2021.