Olympia Theatre, Dublin

Last updated

3Olympia Theatre
The Olympia
Olympia Theatre Dublin entrance in 2009.JPG
Front entrance of the Olympia Theatre in August 2009
Open street map central dublin.svg
Red pog.svg
3Olympia Theatre
Location within Central Dublin
Former namesStar of Erin Music Hall
(1879–1881)
Dan Lowrey's Music Hall
(1881–1889)
Dan Lowrey's Palace of Varieties
(1889–1897)
Empire Palace Theatre
(1897–1923)
The Olympia Theatre
(1923–2021)
Address72 Dame Street
Dublin
Ireland
Coordinates 53°20′39″N6°15′58″W / 53.34428°N 6.26611°W / 53.34428; -6.26611
TypeConcert and events venue
Capacity 1,289 seated, 1,621 standing and seating
Construction
Opened1879
Renovated1977 & 2016
ArchitectJohn J. Callaghan [1]
Website
3olympia.ie

The Olympia Theatre, branded since 2021 for sponsorship purposes as the 3Olympia Theatre, is a concert hall and theatre venue in Dublin, Ireland, located on Dame Street.

Contents

In addition to Irish acts, the venue has played host to many well-known international artists down through the years such as Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy, David Bowie, Billy Connolly, Hall & Oates, R.E.M., Gary Numan, Radiohead and Adele.[ citation needed ]

The venue is owned by Caroline Downey of the music promotion company MCD Productions, [2] with naming sponsorship provided under an eight-year deal with telecoms company, 3 (Three Ireland). [3]

History

Origins

Dublin's Olympia Theatre started out as The Star of Erin Music Hall in 1879, [4] with its principal entrance opening onto Crampton Court. [5] The theatre was built on the site of a former saloon and music hall originally called Connell's Monster Saloon in 1855. [6] It was renamed Dan Lowrey's Music Hall in 1881. In 1889 it was renamed again, this time to Dan Lowrey's Palace of Varieties. It was again renamed The Empire Palace in 1897 after undergoing a series of refurbishments. [6] It was renamed the Olympia Theatre in 1923. [7]

In September 2021, as part of an eight-year sponsorship deal with telecoms company Three Ireland, the venue was rebranded as the "3Olympia Theatre". [3] The name-change which accompanied the sponsorship deal, reportedly prompted to "help the theatre recover from the COVID-19 pandemic", was subject to some controversy. [4] [8] [9] The family of the former owners reportedly organising a petition against the change. [7]

A branch of the River Poddle flows directly underneath the theatre. [10]

Refurbishments

The possibility of demolishing the building was considered by the local council and the owners.[ when? ] Previous owners had attempted to get permission to demolish the theatre as early as 1970, despite a 1967 Dublin City Council resolution calling for the building's preservation. A scheme to replace the theatre with an office block, multi-storey car park and a smaller theatre were rejected. [11] In November 1974, the Olympia was forced to close following major structural damage when parts of the proscenium arch and the ceiling above collapsed during a break in rehearsals for a production of West Side Story . A restoration fund was begun and Dublin City Council eventually placed a preservation order on the theatre. The theatre was restored and redecorated, allowing it to reopen on 14 March 1977. [6]

In November 2004, a truck reversing on Dame Street crashed into the front of the Olympia, damaging the building. [12] A cast-iron and glass canopy from the 1890s, by the Saracen Foundry in Glasgow, was demolished during the accident but subsequently restored. [13] In 2016, the theatre was again refurbished. This time the building was completely refurbished at a cost of over €4 million with the venue remaining open during renovation work. [14]

Performance history

The venue has hosted both domestic and international acts, including: Adele, Ryan Adams, Arcade Fire, Aslan, Barenaked Ladies, David Bowie, Charlie Chaplin, Blondie, Billy Connolly, Chris Cornell, Dead Can Dance, Goldfrapp, Human League, Jack L, Marina Diamandis, Midge Ure, Ellie Goulding, Florence and the Machine, Foo Fighters, Kraftwerk, KSI, Laurel and Hardy, Lisa Stansfield, LCD Soundsystem, Amy Macdonald, Ice Spice, Gary Numan, Paramore, Radiohead, The Coronas, The Corrs, The Killers, The Script, Tori Amos, and Vulfpeck.[ citation needed ] Tom Waits recorded his live version of "The Piano Has Been Drinking" here, released in 1981 on the Bounced Checks compilation. [15] Comedian and actor Dermot Morgan recorded Dermot Morgan Live here on 16 April 1994. The 1995 film An Awfully Big Adventure shot a number of scenes at the theatre. [16]

R.E.M. held a five-night residency at the venue in the summer of 2007 and used those sessions for their 2009 album Live at the Olympia . [17] Kris Kristofferson recorded a live set at the Olympia for the special edition of his 2009 album Closer to the Bone . [15] Erasure played two consecutive sold-out shows at the Olympia during their Total Pop! Tour in June 2011, recording footage used for the video of their single "When I Start To (Break It All Down)". [18] [19] [20] The band played again in this venue in 2014 for two consecutive sold-out nights and in 2018 for three consecutive nights.

Tori Amos played her first European gig in the Olympia. In September 2015, Sweden's Eurovision Song Contest winner Måns Zelmerlöw kicked off a 17-date European tour at the venue. [21] Paramore kicked off their European tour of their new album After Laughter from this theatre in June 2017. [22] [23]

Pantomimes

The Olympia, along with Dublin's Gaiety Theatre and The Helix Theatre, presents an annual Christmas pantomime. Its most recent productions have been Aladdin , Cinderella , Jack and the Beanstalk , Robin Hood and a revival of Cinderella which starred Jedward as the Fairy Godbrothers. In 2011, the Olympia pantomime featured Jedward once more in Jedward and the Beanstalk. [24]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gaiety Theatre, Dublin</span> Historic theatre in Dublin, Ireland

The Gaiety Theatre is a theatre on South King Street in Dublin, Ireland, off Grafton Street and close to St. Stephen's Green. It specialises in operatic and musical productions, with occasional dramatic shows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Dublin Society</span> Philanthropic organisation and its campus in Dublin, Ireland

The Royal Dublin Society (RDS) is an Irish philanthropic organisation and members club which was founded as the 'Dublin Society' on 25 June 1731 with the aim to see Ireland thrive culturally and economically. It was long active as a learned society, especially in agriculture, and played a major role in the development of Ireland’s national library and museums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SFX Hall</span>

SFX Hall, sometimes referred to as SFX Theatre or The SFX, was a theatre located on Upper Sherrard Street, in Dublin, Ireland. The venue was named after the St Francis Xavier Hall and constructed in 1957, although a theater had been located on that site since the middle of the 19th century. The theatre served as the national concert hall, a home to the RTÉ Symphony Orchestra, and on occasion, large-scale performances. The venue had a standing capacity of 1000 and hosted pop and rock music concerts until 2001 when the shows were moved to the Ambassador Theatre. In 1982, the Irish band U2 performed three shows at the SFX in support of their album War. At one time the Dublin Theater Festival was housed at the SFX.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Point Theatre</span> Venue in Dublin, Ireland

The Point Theatre (sometimes referred to as the Point Depot or simply as the Point) was a concert and events venue in Dublin, Ireland, that operated from 1988 to 2007, visited by in excess of 2 million people. It was located on the North Wall Quay of the River Liffey, amongst the Dublin Docklands. The Point was closed in the middle of 2007 for a major redevelopment and underwent a rebranding as The O2 in July 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre</span>

The Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre was a large exhibition and conference complex, in the suburb of Bridge of Don, in Aberdeen, Scotland. The complex is home to a Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express hotel, conference facilities and multi-purpose arena which hosted concerts and local sporting events, including the Aberdeen Cup tennis event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hall for Cornwall</span> Municipal building in Truro, Cornwall, England

The Hall for Cornwall, known as Truro City Hall until 1997, is an events venue in Boscawen Street in Truro, Cornwall, England. The building, which was previously the headquarters of Truro City Council, is a Grade II* listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dame Street</span> Street in central Dublin, Ireland

Dame Street is a large thoroughfare in Dublin, Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Coronas</span> Irish rock band from Dublin

The Coronas are an Irish rock band that originated in Dublin. They release their music by their own independent record label, 3ú Records, and are based between Dublin and London. They have released seven studio albums, Heroes or Ghosts (2007), Tony Was an Ex-Con (2009), Closer to You (2011) The Long Way (2014), Trust The Wire (2017), True Love Waits (2020) Time Stopped (2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ChildLine Concert</span> Pop music concert

The ChildLine Concert, known for sponsorship reasons as the 'Cheerios ChildLine Concert', was an annual pop music charity event which took place in Ireland between 1997 and 2014. The money raised from the concerts was donated to the young person's charity, ChildLine. Performers at past events included Westlife, Robbie Williams, Anastacia, Girls Aloud, McFly, All Saints, S Club 7, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, 5ive, Sugababes, Busted, Boyzone, JLS, The Script, Little Mix, Union J and Olly Murs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M Telus (concert hall)</span> Arts centre in Montreal

The M Telus is a performing arts centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is located in the central part of the downtown core, on Saint Catherine Street East between Saint-Dominique and De Bullion Streets, in the Quartier des Spectacles. The hall primarily features rock music groups, and is a venue for several festivals, including the Montreal International Jazz Festival and the FrancoFolies de Montréal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jedward</span> Irish musical duo

John and Edward Grimes, collectively known as Jedward, are an Irish singing and television presenting duo. They are identical twins who first appeared as John & Edward in the sixth series of The X Factor in 2009, generating a phenomenon of ironic popularity described as "the Jedward paradox". They were the seventh contestant eliminated and were managed by Louis Walsh, who was their mentor during The X Factor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bord Gáis Energy Theatre</span> Irelands largest all-seated indoor theatre

The Bord Gáis Energy Theatre is a performing arts venue, located in the Docklands of Dublin, Ireland. It is Ireland's largest fixed-seat theatre. It was designed by Daniel Libeskind for the DDDA, built by Joe O'Reilly, and opened by Harry Crosbie on 18 March 2010. It is owned by Bernie and John Gallagher, who bought the theatre in 2014 from NAMA, through their company, Crownway.

<i>Young Love</i> (Jedward album) 2012 studio album by Jedward

Young Love is the third studio album by Irish pop duo Jedward. The album was released on 22 June 2012. In January 2012, Jedward began recording material for their third studio album, including their 2012 Eurovision Song Contest entry "Waterline". This recording was done at Wendy House Productions, in West London. The rest of the album was recorded in March at a studio in Sweden. Young Love is a concept album recounting the story of a relationship, from its beginning to end. In 2012 the album was given Gold certification in Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Young Love (Jedward song)</span> 2012 single by Jedward

"Young Love" is a song by Irish pop duo Jedward. It is the second single released from their third album, also titled Young Love. It was released as a digital download on 15 June 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Garage (London)</span> Music venue in London, England

The Garage is a live music and club venue in Highbury, North London. It opened in 1993 and has a capacity of 600. The upstairs room, also known as the Grace, has a capacity of 150.

"Fake Happy" is a song by American rock band Paramore. It was released on August 29, 2017, through Fueled by Ramen as the third single off their fifth studio album After Laughter (2017). Written by lead vocalist Hayley Williams and guitarist Taylor York and produced by Justin Meldal-Johnsen and York, the song was recorded in the band's hometown, Nashville, Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allie Sherlock</span> Irish singer, guitarist, songwriter, and busker (born 2005)

Allie Sherlock is an Irish singer, guitarist, songwriter, and busker. A video of her performing a cover of Ed Sheeran's "Supermarket Flowers" went viral on YouTube in June 2017. She appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2018. Sherlock has performed frequently on Grafton Street in Dublin, Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaun Glenville</span> Irish actor (1884–1968)

Shaun Glenville was an Irish actor who specialised in pantomime performances; he would play the dame while his wife Dorothy Ward would play the principal boy. The music hall historian Christopher Pulling called him one of the 'grand comedians of the music-halls'. He had a successful 62-year career and played in over 40 pantomimes.

References

  1. ↑ "The History of the Olympia Theatre". Olympia Theatre Website. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  2. ↑ "Irish public react to Dublin's Olympia theatre being renamed". Irish News. Evoke. 16 September 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Olympia Theatre to become 3Olympia following sponsorship deal". RTÉ News and Current Affairs. 15 September 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  4. 1 2 "Olympia Theatre rebranded under new sponsorship deal, Dubliners dismayed". irishcentral.com. Irish Central. 16 September 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  5. ↑ "The Olympia Theatre, Dame Street, Crampton Court/Sycamore Street, Dublin 2, DUBLIN". National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH). 2 April 2015. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 "History of Dublin's Theatres and Music Halls – Olympia". arthurlloyd.co.uk. Retrieved 7 August 2008.
  7. 1 2 "3's a crowd: backlash over sponsor's name change for Dublin's Olympia theatre". The Guardian . 21 September 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  8. ↑ "High drama at the Olympia Theatre over rebranding". thetimes.co.uk. The Times. 19 September 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  9. ↑ "'I spent two hours crying' – Daughter of former Olympia Theatre owner hits out at renaming as 'cultural vandalism'". independent.ie. Independent News & Media. 17 September 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  10. ↑ Clarke, Howard B.; Dent, Sarah; Johnson, Ruth (2019). "8 (Houses and Hygiene)". Dublin. The Making of a Medieval City (1st ed.). Dublin: The O'Brien Press. p. 96. ISBN   978-1-78849-120-4.
  11. ↑ McDonald, Frank (1985). The destruction of Dublin. Dublin: Gill and Macmillan. p. 44. ISBN   0-7171-1386-8. OCLC   60079186.
  12. ↑ "Olympia canopy to be restored after crash". The Irish Times . 18 November 2004. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
  13. ↑ Falvey, Deirdre (21 April 2007). "Mysteries of the Olympia's canopy". The Irish Times. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  14. ↑ "Olympia Theatre: Dublin's Oldest Theatre Gets A Brand New Look". Hot Press. 15 December 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  15. 1 2 Byrne, Stephen (9 April 2015). "Ghosts, Glitz and Glamour: A Brief History of The Olympia Theatre, Dublin". Irish Independent . Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  16. ↑ "An Awfully Big Adventure film locations". movie-locations.com. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  17. ↑ Perpetua, Matthew (29 October 2009). "R.E.M. Live at the Olympia". Pitchfork. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  18. ↑ "Erasure Setlist". Setlist.fm. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  19. ↑ "Erasure Setlist". Setlist.fm. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  20. ↑ "Erasure – When I Start to (Break It All Down) (Official Video)". ErasureVEVO. 18 November 2011. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2017– via YouTube.
  21. ↑ Ivan, Lucy (23 September 2015). "Måns Zelmerlöw at the Olympia Theatre – Review & Photos". Dublinconcerts.ie. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  22. ↑ "Paramore 'After Laughter'". Warner Music Ireland. 19 April 2017. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  23. ↑ "Paramore Setlist". Setlist.fm. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  24. ↑ Hegarty, Shane (23 December 2011). "Jedward and the Beanstalk". The Irish Times. Retrieved 27 June 2017.

Sources

53°20′39.4″N6°15′58″W / 53.344278°N 6.26611°W / 53.344278; -6.26611

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.