Puy du Fou
Les Epesses, France
Puy du Fou’s “Le Premier Royaume” (The First Kingdom) transports guests to the fifth century. There, they follow Clovis, king of the Franks and unifier of Gaul, whose kingdom expanded as the Roman Empire declined.
“An immersive walk-through show was the best way to travel through the hero’s life,” says Nicolas de Villiers, president of Puy du Fou. “Le Premier Royaume” differs from previous shows that focus on one setting such as a wartime trench or an 18th-century ship. “We wanted to tell the story of a man who went through several places, which means several sets. The new show leads guests into a new place—as a new surprise—every 10 meters,” says de Villiers.
The new sets are as “impressive and spectacular” as you’d expect. Within 20 minutes, visitors travel through 14 different fantasy worlds, encountering Attila’s Huns, the Mérovingian palace, and the mythical Valhalla. “People love to be onstage, inside the set. They feel part of the story,” says de Villiers.