Belfast’s Lyric Theatre has made its L-Acoustics L-ISA immersive audio system a permanent fixture in its Main Stage auditorium, coinciding with the venue’s 75th anniversary season.
The Lyric’s Main Stage seats 380 across a single end-stage rake. The installed system comprises A10 arrays, A10 extensions and KS21 subwoofers, with five 5XT front-fills and X6i balcony fills. It is 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.
The system was first deployed in late 2025 for the world premiere of Denouement by John Morton, the first use of L-ISA in a live theatrical production on the island of Ireland. The installation was delivered by L-Acoustics certified provider Forfey.
The positive response from creative and technical teams, and from audiences, prompted the decision to retain the system permanently. Ian Vennard, deputy technical manager, noted that audiences with reduced hearing described Denouement as their most meaningful live theatre experience, with improved dialogue clarity and audible location-based effects.
The system was subsequently used for the venue’s Christmas production of A Christmas Carol by Marie Jones, before being formally made permanent ahead of the anniversary season. Vennard added: “Every production from 2026 onwards would be built around L-ISA from the ground up.”
Northern Ireland’s only full-time, self-producing theatre, the Lyric stages at least six full-scale productions annually.
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