Dazzling show to raise the roof for Limerick City of Culture
The internationally acclaimed show Fuerza Bruta is having its Irish premier under an eight-acre roof at a disused industrial unit, renamed The Culture Factory.
After a sell-out 100 shows at London’s The Roundhouse, Fuerza Bruta will put on its first performance tomorrow at The Culture Factory.
Located at Plassy technological Park, next to the University of Limerick, The Culture Factory was used by Wang, Dell, and other multinationals.
Organisers said the new facility will give huge scope for major concerts in the city, given its size.
Fuerza Bruta is described as a mind-blowing experience which leaves its standing audience dazzled by its physical exertions and technical skill.
One scene features members of the cast swimming in a pool hoisted 10m above the audience.
The 70-minute, Argentinian show is packed with stunts in a rave nightclub party setting.
The venue has lain idle for seven years after Dell moved to its other site in Raheen Industrial Park.
Limerick City of Culture organisers said that the facility will now give Limerick a venue that can compare with Dublin’s O2.
Paul Boland and Joe Clarke are partners in CWB, the event management team for the show.
Paul said: “The Cranberries have used this facility for rehearsals and indoor scenes from the TV series Killinaskully have been filmed here. The space is just fantastic. As well as the eight acres inside, there is seven acres for car parking outside.”
CWB has a team of over 100 fitting out The Culture Factory along with 30 co-op students from Limerick Institute of Technology and the University of Limerick.
Paul said: “It is a very complex job as this show is best described as a carousel of choreography. Technically, it is very challenging. Coming into a huge space like this, a lot of engineering work had to be completed. We have been on site for over a week and there will be a full rehearsal tomorrow.
“To give you an idea of the size of this new theatre venue, it is 200m long and almost 200m wide.”
To prepare the huge plan, Paul and Joe travelled to London to see the show at The Roundhouse.
Joe said: “We went over to have a look and meet the technical people. The only venues in Ireland that could hold this kind of show with the kind of space we have here would be the O2 and the RDS.
“There will be an audience of 1,000 at each show. This a unique kind of setting. There will be 13 performances of the show. Tickets in London sold for £46 [€55], whereas the Limerick admission is €28.”
Mariana Mele, company manager of Feurza Bruta, said the venue was perfect as it gave them plenty of space to erect props.
“We have been doing different shows around the world for the past 11 years and we have been doing this show Fuerza Bruta since 2005,” said Ms Mele.
