When we were invited to see the world premiere of Replay Theatre Company’s latest production, Dancing At The Disco At The End Of The World as part of the Belfast International Arts Festival we were pretty excited to see what this mysterious show was all about. And trust us, we were not disappointed one bit.
Told to meet at Riddel’s Warehouse on Ann Street (a disused warehouse that has been turned into an art space for various projects) at 7.30pm, we made our way through the blustery Autumn night at around 7.15pm only to find what looked genuinely like a disused building. The windows were boarded up, the door shut tight (a sign read ‘do not enter’ and a fence surrounded the building itself. The only sign that we were in the right place was an advertisement for the production attached to the protective fence.
At 7.30pm exactly the door swung open and we were ushered inside by a gruff man in a boiler suit who herded us into a side room that was little more than exposed brick walls and an uneven floor. A futuristic dome of metal and light arched over our heads as we were unequivocally told were to sit and stand and he watched over us as we turned off our phones for the duration of the night. It was clear; this wasn’t going to be any ordinary theatre experience, and this guy was in charge.
The warehouse itself is old. Dating back to the 1860’s this building is a hulking great space with so many iron staircases, open spaces and nooks and crannies. The floors are uneven, the walls likely to crumble and scaffolding is scattered throughout. The safety talk is given in full character in the form of a warning as the guard who ‘welcomed’ us tells us the rules of this post-apocalyptic world. We are then shoved from pillar to post, as we make our way through the building to see various events occur in the story. We are visitors to this world, intruders if you like, and the guard who leads us makes that very clear indeed. From intimidation and anxiousness to fear and intrigue, we experience a whole wealth of emotions over the next hour and a half.
To tell you any more would ruin the experience entirely, but all I can say is that from the moment you walk through those doors, to the second you leave you are immersed in this world 100%. With superb acting, perfect costuming, and a really great and poignant story to tell, this warehouse space is the ideal location to help bring the whole piece to life. Imaginative, immersive and intriguing, Dancing At The Disco At The End Of The World is as close to actually being inside TV show or movie as you will ever feel, and I would urge anyone and everyone to see Dancing At The Disco At The End Of The World before it’s too late!
Running from now until 27th October tickets are £15 each and can be bought here.
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