PUT on a mask, part with friends, get out of the elevator and start a three-hour “invisible” adventure in a mysterious hotel in 1930s Shanghai.

This is the latest spectacle for locals ever since the Shanghai version of “Sleep No More” opened in December.

The immersive theater, co-produced by Punchdrunk and SMG Live, has become a theatrical sensation. It broke all box-office records in Shanghai. Tickets for the 100th performance in May had sold out within 47 minutes, while all of June was lapped up in only four days, thus ensuring good business for scalpers.

According to the company’s website, about a quarter of the tickets sold are people coming back for the second time. Some “devoted” fans have watched the production over 30 times.

“It is definitely not a show that will satisfy me after seeing it just once. There are always characters, paths or messages that I might have missed, wanting me to explore further next time,” says 33-year-old Wendy Xu, who has already seen the show 25 times and planning the next trip.

She has made new friends online who are also frequent visitors to the fictitious McKinnon Hotel on Beijing Road W. They exchange notes after every trip while others talk about their “star” performers.

Punchdrunk’s “Sleep No More” narrates Shakespeare’s classic tragedy “Macbeth” through a dark cinematic lens, offering a unique experience rather than a simple show.

With a mask on their faces, the audiences move around freely throughout the story, creating their own film noir world. They are encouraged to explore the narrative, moving all over the building to discover the characters, stories and secrets that hide inside.

The production debuted in London in 2003, followed by Boston in 2009 and has been running in New York since 2011.

Shanghai was chosen for its Asian premiere, and as planned, the show will be around for at least 2-3 years.

To make the show work better for local audiences, the original creative team collaborated with local Chinese artists to grasp the local elements.

The McKinnon Hotel in 1930s Shanghai is where the story unfolds just like how The Mckittrick Hotel was the base in New York.

A disused building in Jing’an District was transformed into 90 different rooms spread over six floors. Thousands of old-style furniture, decorations, notebooks, envelopes and even postmarks were carefully chosen for the story that is set in 1930s Shanghai.

A huge cabinet with real TCM herbs in each drawer is a pharmacy on a “street.” In fact, the street is laid out in Chinese green bricks, a common feature in old Shanghai.

“We wanted to make sure there were no dead ends or flaws in the world we create. The audiences must feel like they are a part of the story the moment they put on their masks and step in,” says Ma Chencheng, vice president of SMG Live.

Some Chinese stories are also woven into the narrative though it is not obvious. Some of the viewers believed that there are some references to Madam White Snake, but the creative team is not talking much.

“There are tons of stories in the show. But ‘Macbeth’ is at the heart of it. There are a number of references to other things we have been drawing on for years,” says Conor Doyle, associate choreographer and associate director of “Sleep No More.”

“We decided to expand on some Chinese stories when we moved here. They are all very human stories about ambition, love, loss, magic and mystery, so all of them are sort of reflecting on each other rather than separate. I hope that it doesn’t feel like what is added on, but part of ‘Sleep No More’.”

Immersive theater is an art form that lures the audiences into the performing space. It is still relatively new to many Chinese audiences with very few domestic productions.

However, the locals seemed to adapt quite well and showed great enthusiasm.

It is not rare to see a bunch of people with masks chasing a character along the street inside the McKinnon Hotel, checking on scattered letters on the desk, or trying to find something where a character had gazed.

“Shanghai audiences are extremely engaged in the show. They watch and actively take information. They are hungry to know more about the show and characters,” says Doyle, the associate director. “It is amazing when you see someone’s eyes lit up when something is revealed or they make a connection. Oh, they’ve got it!

“I once met a viewer who told me what he had discovered that we hardly expected anyone to notice.”

However, sometimes the performers were also worried about some of the audience members who were obsessed with figuring out things about the characters and stories.

Countless notes and maps made by experienced visitors were posted online that was like a bible for newcomers. Wendy Xu says she was shocked when she spotted one person taking out four sheets of paper with all the notes, even though everybody is expected to leave all personal items behind at the entrance.

But she also met a warm-hearted girl who offered to take her where Lady Macbeth was expected to show up.

In some cases, the audiences were so deeply engaged that they got extremely close to the performers, rattling them a bit.

“One wonderful thing about the show is that it is really magnificent in its scope. It is highly detailed and also large and rich,” says Emily Terndrup, the rehearsal director.

“We encourage everyone to take a step back. Because there is a lot of details that you can only see if you are far enough.

“At a proper distance, you can see a character who is watching another character down the hall. That is really a rich moment that you may miss if you stand too close,” says Terndrup.

And of course, taking a step back also has additional benefits that allow other audiences to see the scene with you.

Doyle understands that some people try to get as close as possible out of fear of missing out on something. However, by being too character-focused, they frame their own experiences and lose out on the real spectacle.

“The space is also part of the performance just as much as it is for the performers. It would be just as fun to break away from the crowd, open a room alone, find a story in the letters, get lost in a maze, rather than follow a character wherever he goes,” says Doyle. “If people ask what to do if they lose the hero in the show, I tell them go and find yourself a new hero.”

Some of the fans claimed online that it was becoming increasingly difficult to figure out the complete picture of “Sleep No More” as the plots and other details kept changing from what they had seen previously.

“There are really no tasks to complete. It is your experience of typing into something you are interested in. With the mask on, you are the director of the show. You are in control of how you see the world. So, take the gift and be creative with it,” says Doyle.

Date: 7-10pm, Wednesday-Saturday; 3-6pm, Saturday-Sunday

Venue: The McKinnon Hotel, 1013 Beijing Rd W.

Tickets: 550-650 yuan

For more information, go to www.sleepnomore.cn.