Olympia Theatre (Dublin)

Olympia Theatre
Front entrance in August 2009
Former names	Star 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 - ?)
Alternative names	The Olympia
General information
Type	Concert and events venue
Location	72 Dame Street Dublin 2 Dublin 2
Country	Ireland
Opening	1879
Other information
Seating capacity	1,300
Website
mcd.ie/venues/?c=olympiatheatre

The Olympia Theatre is a concert hall/theatre venue in Dublin, Ireland, located in Dame Street.

History

Built in 1879, it was originally called the "Star of Erin Music Hall". Two years later in 1881, it was renamed "Dan Lowrey's Music Hall" and was renamed again in 1889 to "Dan Lowrey's Palace of Varieties". In February 1897 it was closed down and completely rebuilt. When it reopened in November of the same year it was called the "Empire Palace Theatre". The Theatre was eventually renamed The Olympia Theatre. It ran successfully for many years up to November 1974 when it was forced to close following major structural damage (during a break in rehearsals for a production of West Side Story parts of the proscenium arch and the ceiling above collapsed). The possibility of demolishing the building was considered by the local Council and the owners, however a restoration fund was begun and City Councillors eventually placed a preservation order on the theatre. The theatre was restored and redecorated, allowing it to reopen on 14 March 1977.^[1] In November 2004, a truck reversing on Dame Street crashed into the front of the Olympia damaging the building. A cast iron and glass canopy from the 1890s, by the Saracen Foundry in Glasgow, was demolished during the accident but has since been restored.

Performance history

Other performances

Erasure, Aslan, Bryan Adams, Billy Talent, Boomtown Rats, Ryan Adams, Groove Armada, Jackson Browne, David Bowie, Ian Brown, Primal Scream, Kelly Clarkson, Limp Bizkit, Mary Black, Plan B, The Corrs, The Coronas, Fun Lovin' Criminals, Two Door Cinema Club, Johnny Cash, Paddy Casey, Coldplay, Flight of the Conchords, Jamie Cullum, The Black Crowes, Robert Cray, Jimmy Carr, The Saw Doctors, The Shins, 2 Many DJ's, Snoop Dogg, N-Dubz, Cathy Davey, The Dubliners, Deadmau5, Faithless, Faith No More, The Frames, Foals, Arcade Fire, Scouting for Girls, Peter Green, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Crowded House, Hatebreed, Machine Head, INXS, James, Kris Kristofferson, Patrick Kielty, Kraftwerk, Kíla, Keane, Lyle Lovett, Lowgold, Lifehouse, Sean Lock, Thin Lizzy, Motorhead, Happy Mondays, Imelda May, Morrissey, Mogwai, Florence and the Machine, Dropkick Murphy's, Mika, MGMT, NOFX, Paolo Nutini, The National, Brendan O'Carroll, Placebo, Snow Patrol, Paul Potts, Passion Pit, R.E.M., Rollins Band, Pendulum, Lou Reed, Chris Rea, Robert Plant & The Strange Sensation, Stone Temple Pilots, The Strokes, Synchronicity, Ocean Colour Scene, Tinchy Stryder, Smokie, The Specials, Tegan & Sara, John Butler Trio, The Waterboys, Wolfmother, Paul Weller, Bell X1, Yes, Will Young, Sonic Youth, Yazoo, You Me At Six, KT Tunstall, Lighthouse Family, All Time Low, The Saturdays, Trailer Park Boys, Ray Lamontagne, Bruno Mars, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Iron & Wine, Gogol Bordello, Shayne Ward, Adele, Beady Eye, Jedward, Loudon Wainwright III, Rob Zombie, Rumer, Suede, Boyce Avenue, Manic Street Preachers, QOTSA, Mumford and Sons, Sufjan Stevens, Blondie, Ellie Goulding, Ryan Adams, Erasure, Cheap Trick, Gomez, Jimmy Barnes, Brad Paisley, The Rubberbandits, James Vincent McMorrow, The Sisters of Mercy, Sigur Rós, Simon Pegg, Iggy Pop, PJ Harvey, Smashing Pumpkins, Big Country, Manic Street Preachers, Red Hurley, Flogging Molly, Echo & the Bunnymen, Jedward, Kaiser Chiefs, Gruff Rhys, Wiz Khalifa, Simple Minds, Deus, The Straits, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Boyce Avenue, The Naked and Famous, Foster the People, Gavin Friday, Example, The Darkness, Friendly Fires, Lindsey Buckingham, Camille O'Sullivan,

In addition, the film An Awfully Big Adventure shot many of its scenes at the theatre.

Pantomime history

The Olympia along with Dublin's Gaiety Theatre and The Helix Theatre presents an annual Christmas pantomimes. Its most recent productions have been Aladdin, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Robin Hood and last year's revival of Cinderella which starred Jedward as the Fairy Godbrothers. This year the Olympia pantomime features Jedward once again in Jedward and the Beanstalk.

See also

• List of concert halls

References

1. ^ "Theatres, Halls and Related Articles for Dublin, Ireland". http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/Dublin.htm#star. Retrieved 2008-08-07. 

External links

• Official Website
• Guide to the Olympia venue on Ticketmaster
• Reviews of various concerts in the Olympia Theatre, Dublin
• History of Dublin's Theatres and Music Halls

Coordinates: 53°20′39.4″N 6°15′58″W / 53.344278°N 6.26611°W / 53.344278; -6.26611