The Vaults today announces its new experience Sounds and Sorcery celebrating Disney Fantasia, a brand new immersive experience which will open this summer, in the year Mickey Mouse celebrates his 90th anniversary. Inspired by the classic 1940 Disney film, a series of unique installations will bring some of the world’s most iconic classical music to life in a multi-sensory experience.
It’s time for a dance with a funky hippo that will leave you in a celestial spin, walk in a prehistoric wasteland to give you goose bumps, seek out the fish and the fairies in a forest of ethereal dreams and, if you dare, sneak into the Sorcerer’s lair – you may find this surreal symphony swells the soul.
Audience members will be invited to step inside The Vaults maze of tunnels in Waterloo, London, where, wearing individual headphones, the orchestra will guide them on an interactive journey. Each space will reveal a fantastical environment using a combination of cutting edge binaural sound, 3D projections, elaborate set designs and dazzling lighting effects to reimagine the many worlds of Disney Fantasia.
Under the musical direction of Stephen Higgins, a 96-piece orchestra has created a new recording especially for the experience, featuring the 8 diverse classical pieces of music from the original film including The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, The Rite of Spring, Night on Bald Mountain and Nutcracker Suite.
Kieron Vanstone, Director of The Vaults, and Producer of Sounds and Sorcery, says: ‘When we first began exploring the world of Disney Fantasia, we knew instinctively that this was the next epic scale immersive project for us. 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. We were incredibly inspired by what Walt Disney and his animators achieved with this music in the original movie, and our immersive take on it will aim to be as ground-breaking, just as inspirational and sprinkled with the same amount of wonderful.’
Anna Hill, Chief Marketing Officer, The Walt Disney Company UK and Ireland, says: ‘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. Fantasia was, and still is, a ground-breaking movie and Walt Disney’s creativity continues to inspire people all over the world today, so it is fitting that this experiential event is paying tribute to this seminal work in this way.’
Sounds and Sorcery celebrating Disney Fantasia will be directed by Daisy Evans, the founder and Artistic Director of Silent Opera whose work focuses on the use of headphones to bring classical music to new audiences. Design for the production has been created by Kitty Callister in collaboration with a variety of artists who have created the installations including David Gregory Sound Designer, Doug Foster Video Designer, Jake Wiltshire Lighting Designer and Andy George Production Manager.
