Immersive Belfast Blitz Theatre Experience Returns to W5

This March and April, AMAZE at W5 presents the return of its first-ever immersive theatre production, in association with award-winning writer and director Dan Gordon, which tells the story of the Belfast Blitz.

In April 1941, despite the destruction being wrought throughout Britain and Europe during World War II, the consensus of opinion in Belfast was that “It’ll never happen here!”.

The immersive production will bring that story to life, painting a picture of life in the city leading up to the night of the first raid on 7th April 1941.

Written and directed by Dan Gordon and starring Jo Donnelly (Rough Girls/Mimi’s World/Nova Jones, BBC) and Marty Maguire (Vikings, Amazon Prime; The Fall, BBC), this production mixes live performances with multi-screen projection and state of the art 360-degree audio-soundscape technology to create a dynamic and innovative new experience.

The story begins with a cast of characters, based on real life witnesses to the Blitz and performed by actors, Jo Donnelly and Marty Maguire. As the first distant siren begins to wail, and the sharp cry of ‘put that light out’ echoes round the room, the audience is plunged into darkness for a unique acoustic experience.

An immersive theatre production differentiates itself from traditional theatre by removing the stage and immersing audiences within the performance itself, making them feel like part of the whole experience.

A virtual and emotional environment will take guests back to that fateful night, truly enveloping them in the experience. As a new day dawns, images of the destruction wrought by the Luftwaffe flood the room, and the cast of characters, both live and virtual, begin to relay their stories of sadness, heroism and hope to the gathered audience.

Archive images from Belfast at the time of the Belfast Blitz used in the production were sourced from The Belfast Telegraph and PRONI.

It’ll Never Happen Here! A Belfast Blitz Experience takes place at AMAZE in W5 on selected dates and times from 11 March - 2 April 2023. Tickets are priced £5. Please ensure you have selected your ticket to A Belfast Blitz Experience on the 'upgrades' page when purchasing your General Admission to W5.

For an optimal experience: this 360-degree immersive show is designed to be viewed from a standing position, though some seating will be positioned around the performance space. The experience lasts approximately 45 minutes. Part of the show contains some very loud bangs and sound effects during a period of darkness. This show is not suitable for young children and is recommended for an audience of children aged 8 + and adults.

Dates and Times

Shows run at 12.30pm and 2.30pm on the following dates:

• Sunday 2 April