Wales Millenium Centre announces new digital-first theatre

Plans to build a 550-capacity “immersive” theatre in Cardiff Bay have been announced by the Wales Millennium Centre.

The venue, proposed at a site opposite the existing Wales Millennium Centre (WMC), is intended to be a “digital-first” theatre making use of virtual reality and immersive technology.

There will also be facilities for production, rehearsals and training.

“This new space will continue our work at the intersection of technology and the arts, allowing artists to explore and experiment with multimedia approaches to telling stories,” said the WMC’s chief creative and content officer, Graeme Farrow.

Immersive experiences often take the form of augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), or virtual reality (VR) delivered via a headset, combined with a more traditional theatre performance.

VR is often best known by its headset, which allows viewers to explore digital worlds rendered in real-time.

AR combines the digital and real world, often using a headset or mobile device to add details into the user’s view.

MR is more tactile, using objects in the real world in tandem with the user’s view of a digital world to create a physically engaging experience.

The combination of both digital and physical stimulus is intended to engage audience members more directly and give them the feeling that they are part of the story.

The new theatre, which is part of the Cardiff Live development, will be built on a site next to the planned £250m Cardiff Indoor Arena in Atlantic Wharf.

The development will see the existing Red Dragon Centre demolished and replaced with the new arena and theatre space, as well as council offices, exhibition halls and community areas.

The development of Cardiff Crossrail, a new tramway initially connecting Cardiff Bay with Cardiff Central station, is also under way with the first stage expected to be completed by 2028.