Having been the first deployment of L-Acoustics’ L-ISA immersive audio system in a live theatrical production on the island of Ireland in 2025, it is now to become a permanent fixture for the Lyric Theatre’s main auditorium and will shape how the theatre approaches sound.
Introduced for the world premiere of Denouement by John Morton, directed by Jimmy Fay, the venue collaborated with L-Acoustics Certified Provider Forfey and Application Engineer Oli Crump to heighten the production’s thematic themes, creating a tense, atmosphere. The positive response from the director, management, technical teams and audiences made a permanent installation a clear choice.
‘As the theatre’s run of Denouement drew to a close, the conversation turned to what came next, Jimmy Fay [Executive Producer at the Lyric Theatre and Director of Denouement] saw first-hand what spatial audio could bring to the stage. It enhanced the production’s emotionally charged narrative so profoundly that removing the system was simply not an option’ says Lyric Theatre Deputy Technical Manager, Ian Vennard.
While L-ISA’s impact was clear to the in-house teams, audiences felt it most. Many had never experienced a stage production with such clarity, and those with reduced hearing called Denouement their most meaningful live theatre experience. They could follow dialogue easily and perceive location-based sound effects that had previously been lost.
After Denouement, the Lyric retained the L-ISA set-up for its Christmas production of A Christmas Carol by Marie Jones – a seasonal adaptation reimagined for spatial audio. ‘During the Christmas show, our Sound Designer remarked that the depth and quality achieved through L-ISA was unlike anything they had worked with before,’ Vennard adds. With our 75th anniversary on the horizon, the time was right to make a bold statement. Every production from 2026 onwards will be built around L-ISA from the ground up’.
This installation will be showcased for the first time when Belfast Ensemble, in association with the Lyric Theatre, presents its spring musical featuring a 12-piece band on stage.
Written by Conor Mitchell, Artistic Director of Belfast Ensemble and Associate Artist at the Southbank Centre in London, the production positions the Lyric’s anniversary season at the forefront of new creative work in the region. The system features a Scene set-up with A10 arrays, A10 extensions, KS21 subwoofers, five 5XT front fills, and X6i balcony fills, powered by two LA7.16i and one LA1.16i amplified controllers, two LA2Xi units, and runs on a Milan-AVB network. L-Acoustics Application Engineer Sergey Becker travelled to Belfast for on-site calibration.
‘It’s been invaluable to have that depth of support from design through to completion, knowing the people behind the technology are invested in how we use it gives us real confidence that we’re making the right decisions for the right product,’ Vennard says.
For Forfey’s Matt Minford, the project reflects the value of long-term partnerships; ‘This outcome is what happens when a venue truly commits to its creative vision. The Lyric wanted to rethink what theatre sound could be, and it’s been a privilege to help make that happen’.
‘Our goal has always been to lead,’ Vennard reflects. ‘With every production from here onwards based on L-ISA, we’ll be actively bringing this vision to life. That’s a genuinely thrilling place to be as we head into our 75th year’.