04 May 2018
Dublin's new €5m tourist attraction to tell the history of Ireland through theatre
BY Tom Anstey
A new tourist attraction in Dublin will combine theatre with history, telling the 800-year story of Ireland when the €5m (US$6m, £4.4m) experience opens its doors to the public in July.
Called The Vaults, the attraction sits in the Irish capital's historic John’s Lane area. The Vaults will be housed inside in the former Augustinian St John’s National School.
Once work is completed, the venue will be transformed, featuring a series of state-of-the-art theatrical sets with live actor led performances aimed at a universal audience. Each show will feature special effects and dark humour, with audience participation a key part of the experience. Up to 30 shows will take place on a daily basis, each playing out on a 360º theatrical set.
Irish production company Frontier Entertainment are behind the development, with entrepreneur and former broadcaster Paul Blanchfield heading up the company alongside producer and TV programme maker Gerald Heffernan. Playwright and screenwriter, Peter Sheridan, will be involved with the creative side of the project.
"Our aim is to quickly become the number one thing to do in Dublin with a theatrical attraction which will be a completely unique entertainment experience integrating actors with guests," said Blanchfield.
"Our research shows people want better experiences with more involvement and The Vaults entertainment model makes this happen in a big way.
"We’ve put together a team of highly skilled professionals in staging and set design to create for guests a stunning walk-through journey of real and imagined events in Irish history with a twist."
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