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Puy du Fou ready to launch a spectacular new show

as part of its 25th anniversary

Update : 03/02/13 - 11h57 Published by François Mayné the 1 February 2013, New.

After an outstanding 2012 season which saw a new record attendance with over 1, 6 million visitors, the Puy du Fou is celebrating this year its 25th anniversary by making it big!

The theme park favorite of the French *, recently honored by the prestigious Thea Classic Award, has decided to invest a little more than €10 million (about $13.7 million) in 2013 mainly for the creation of a new show called 'The Knights of the Round Table' as well as for the continuous improvment of Cinéscénie, the world's largest nighttime show. In addition, the park will start to manage its own travel agency and continues to invest for the quality of the visitors' experience (including in guest services, catering, security, etc.)

Puy du Fou ready to launch a spectacular new show as part of its 25th anniversary.

Far from resting on its laurels, the Puy du Fou is aware of the need to continue its development through constant investments. "We don't let the success go to our heads. Quite the opposite, it gives us some pressure to continue to deliver a quality experience to our visitors, " explains Laurent Albert, CEO of Puy du Fou. "Even though the 2012 season was crowned with records, including the new formula of our Christmas event during which we welcomed 90,000 guests (editor's note: 12% more than in 2011), we know we need to move, progress and be creative! "

The Knights of the Round Table will be a completely unique production for which the Puy du Fou has deployed large means. The show alone represents a budget of €3.5 million (~$2.5 million), a significant amount of money but essential to surprise visitors, as explains Laurent Albert: "We are a place of shows and our goal is to create emotions in the eyes of our visitors. We want to constantly improve ourselves and create new original entertainment, just like last year with Le Monde Imaginaire de la Fontaine. "

The Knights of the Round Table will feature special effects and illusions. Photo: Laurent Albert (left) and Nicolas de Villiers (right)

The show, which took 2 years of preparation, mobilizes all of the teams of Puy du Fou since the fall. "We have embarked on a difficult exercise that we must achieve in just six months, " says Laurent Albert. "We are creating a brand new stage area using the magnificent setting although underused of the ramparts of our medieval city. This new site will be gorgeous with a huge stage and grandstands for 2,000 spectators. Despite the rather harsh winter conditions, including strong wind and frost, we will be ready in due time for the opening of the season, it is a tradition at Puy du Fou! "

To tell the famous story of the young knight Arthur, Merlin the wizard and the sword Excalibur, the Puy du Fou has chosen to use special effects and illusions by appealing to two French illusionists renowned: Bertran Loth and Dany Lari. "It will be amazing, these two great artists have concocted spectacular illusions that will be performed outdoor and in the daytime I can not reveal the secrets of the show of course, but I can already tell you that there will be a world first as we will have a horse and rider emerge out of the water! " enthuses Laurent Albert. To strengthen the epic and fantastic scenario, the original music - that should be recorded again by the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra - will be signed by Jacques Raveleau-Duparc and Frédéric Dunis, two French composers who have already worked with the Puy du Fou for other shows. On stage, there will be a dozen actors for about twenty roles and the triple of costumes.

This new project will also be an opportunity for the park to test a new format of show which will be shorter and presented up to 8 times during the busiest days of summer. "We have evolved into writing our scenarios because the profile of our visitors has changed, but also for artistic reasons, " continues Laurent Albert. "The Knights of the Round Table will run approximately 16 minutes and the action will be condensed on the whole, there will be no downtime! We wanted a shorter story therefore more efficient, especially because the stage is outdoors and it will thus deal with the vagaries of the weather. With enhanced lighting, we will also play the show at nightfall, that will be a great addition before 'The Organs of Fire'. "

Alongside the Knights of the Round Table, the Puy du Fou will invest this year €1.2 million (~$1.6million) for Cinéscénie. "After redesigning the soundtrack with composer Nick Glennie-Smith and after having enhanced the special effects with video projection, this time we wanted to improve the light, " confides Laurent Albert. "There were a lot of things to do on this point, so we contacted the Belgian light designer Koert Vermeulen who is known for his work with Franco Dragone. " The new program includes 400 new low-energy LED projectors to illuminate the 1,200 actors and the 23 hectares (~57 acres) of the stage.

Finally, the Puy du Fou launches its own travel agency: Puy du Fou Evasion. "We were alone among the major operators of amusement parks in France in not having this kind of structure, " says Laurent Albert. "This is a significant investment although still useful for the development of our destination. " To do this, the park has developed a software with the French company IREC Ticketing Technology. Visitors can now organize their stay by phone or internet, booking all products available on the site. "It is now also possible to book accommodation outside the Puy du Fou because we have selected twenty partner hotels in the region. Within two years, we will add the possibility to book a means of transport, including car rental, train or plane. "

Puy du Fou opens its doors on Saturday, April 13.

*: According to a study by the institute IFOP conducted during the summer of 2012, confirming a first place already obtained at this same opinion survey one year before.

Show - - -

Written by François Mayné

François Mayné Publishing Director » Contact Us
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