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Immersive live experience based on Disney Fantasia coming to London

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Disney Fantasia sounds and sorcery the vaults

An immersive entertainment experience inspired by the 1940 Disney film Fantasia is coming to The Vaults, beneath Waterloo Station, in London.

Sounds and Sorcery is an “immersive sensory experience inspired by Disney Fantasia” that will take visitors on “an adventure into a multi-coloured, kaleidoscopic, artistic interpretation” of the film.

Visitors will collect a set of headphones at the entrance and then journey through a series of underground tunnels, experiencing the music of Fantasia while surrounded by theatrically designed installations, performances and interactions.

The experience makes use of cutting-edge technology to bring Fantasia to life, including binaural sound recordings, 3D projection and light installation.

Under the musical direction of Stephen Higgins, a 96-piece orchestra has created a new recording especially for the experience, featuring the eight classical pieces of music from the original film including The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, The Rite of Spring, Night on Bald Mountain and Nutcracker Suite.

The promotional material for the event states: “Collect your headphones at the door and step inside Sounds and Sorcery. It’s time for a dance with a funky hippo that will leave you in a celestial spin, walk in a prehistoric wasteland to make your skin sizzle, seek out the fairies in a magical forest for an ethereal dream and, if you dare, sneak into the Sorcerer’s lair – you may find this surreal symphony swells the soul.”

Sounds and Sorcery has been produced by Kieron Vanstone, the director of The Vaults.

“When we first began exploring the world of Disney Fantasia, we knew instinctively that this was the next epic scale immersive project for us,” he said.

“For some time, we’d been exploring the use of headphones, and specifically binaural technology, as a technique for plunging our audiences deeper into the worlds we create. Fantasia is such an inspiring, iconic movie that truly features some of the most excellent music that has ever been scored.”

The event is produced and managed by The Vaults with the Fantasia theming used under license from Disney. It runs from 3 July until 30 September with timeslots available in the afternoon and evening. The experience lasts approximately 90 minutes.

Anna Hill, chief marketing officer for the Walt Disney Company in the UK and Ireland, said: “At Disney we love bringing innovative experiences to new audiences, and we are delighted that The Vaults are staging this Fantasia-inspired production this year, as the film marks a truly iconic moment in the history of Mickey Mouse ahead of his 90th anniversary.”

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Sam McCaffrey

Journalist. Likes immersive entertainment experiences, museums, zoos and the odd go on a Waltzer.

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