Bord Gáis Energy Theatre — Attraction in Dublin

MANAGEMENT CANNOT COMMUNICATE WITH PATRONS & HANDLE SHOW INTERRUPTIONS - UTMOST LACK OF COURTESY AND PROFESSIONALISM

I have no hesitation in criticising the theatre management for their pathetic handling of the mid-show schedule changes of “Calamity Jane” on 22nd August 2025.

After the first half ended, the management failed to inform the attendees and more junior staff on the floors that there was a serious delay to the show. A medical emergency happened concerning a cast member.

Instead of even informing the poor attendees and younger staff who had to deal with the approx. 2000 customers (because the staff are on different radio frequencies and hence uncontactable), the theatre allowed all of the patrons to wait for OVER AN HOUR.

They made an announcement simply saying there is a delay and THE BARS ARE STILL OPEN - how dare they actually ask or suggest people to spend their money and sit around? There were people visiting from the country with pre-booked travel, elderly people and more who had no idea what to do.

There is clearly a gap in their processes. It wasn’t until I insisted that a junior supervisor make a phone call to a manager that they made another vague announcement, neither confirming nor denying if the show would continue. Instead, the management of this theatre failed to communicate or make clear decisions for the patrons, resulting in inordinate delay, confusion and potentially additional costs for transport and more.

Seriously - learn to run a theatre and have some common courtesy. Shoutout to the attendees and younger staff who had to actually face the customers, but the management should be penalised because it’s one thing to call an ambulance, sure, however you cannot leave thousands of people hanging in suspense without any indication of refund processes, whether the show will go on or not. This is basic...

The theatre is modern and tends to host a touring/understudy cast of various shows. I didn't know.any of the cast and they were relatively unknown to my group.

The seats are extremely uncomfortable and cramped, and for anyone who is tall, they are painful after a while. Given the money they charge, they can afford to make them more comfortable but don't. They remind me of the seats in a University lecture hall, flat and wooden with sparse cushioning.

Went to see Wicked there and it was good but the cast is small and not what you'd get on Broadway or the West End. I've been there before and the production was of a similar "touring" nature, no big stars to speak of. Having said that, the prices aren't low and we paid €82 per ticket for Wicked, and were seated quite high up at the back where visibility isn't horizontal.

Some negatives are its difficulty as a location and the pre-booked parking was in the region of €35 for a few hours at nearby parking facilities. No surprise that this is way more expensive on nights that shows are on. There's no direct Tram to the theatre and, as is usual for Dublin, public transport from any of the suburbs to a location like this entails a couple of buses and lots of time for what is typically a short journey as the crow flies.

We had a meal beforehand in a restaurant on the square outside.

Adding everything together, it was an expensive night for a family of 8, totalling nearly €1,000 to see a show (and only with and understudy/touring cast), park, eat and have a drink at intermission.

For that, I think I'm justified in asking for a comfortable seat in the Theatre and parking that's not a rip-off (some government regulation needed...

Bord Gáis Energy Theatre is owned by Crownway Investments, a private family investment company. The theatre commenced building in January 2007 and opened in March 2010 with The Russian State Ballet featuring stars from the Bolshoi performing Swan Lake. The theatre quickly became an audience favourite with its outstanding sound quality, gorgeous décor and iconic architecture. and largest fixed seated theatre space, with over 2,100 seats—shadowing the capacity size of New York’s 41 Broadway Theatres. Because of the tiered seating layout and amazing sound quality, you will usually get good value for your money no matter which seat you get issued with at the Bord Gáis.

While the box seats might provide a traditional premium theatre experience, some people may find it difficult to watch the show at an angle. These seats also tend to be more expensive because of their exclusivity.

The upper row tends to have the cheapest tickets, but this doesn’t mean these seats aren’t great. In fact, if you get seated near the front in the upper circle, you actually have a fantastic view of the stage.

For more convenience, aim to get a seat as close to the aisle as possible so you don’t have to move to let people in or out too often. Alternatively, the seating at the sides with fewer seats will mean fewer people are likely to move in and out – these are usually seat-numbers 1-10 or 45 onwards. Before buying your ticket, check out the seating plan below from the Bord Gáis website to make sure you’re happy with...