It is now one of the city's longest established club venues with a membership list now approaching 15,000 people. Over the years it has provided a safe haven for the city's gay and lesbian community, as well as welcoming a mixed clientèle.Open 7 days a week, it is very different  from other venues as it provides more of a neighbourhood-type atmosphere for customers.

The venue has always been looking for new projects that will capture the imagination of both existing and and new customers. The intention has always been to create a venue that is not just a bar and club, but provides additional activities for people to come along and enjoy.

By coincidence, during the summer of 2009, Dempseys was approached by Peter Kennedy, from Ribcage Productions, about using the club as a potential venue for a new theatrical production of Terry Eagleton's Saint Oscar. What was particularly attractive about this project was that it enabled the use of effectively redundant space from in the club area. This is not normally open to the public until 9pm onwards.

The collaboration was sealed and Saint Oscar became Theatre at Dempseys first production running for a week long run in October 2009. The play attracted large audiences and succeeded in bringing live theatre to a new space and a new audience. Many of the audience had never been to a play in their lives and Saint Oscar had opened up new horizons.

The model for Theatre at Dempseys makes provision for theatre companies to use the space for rehearsals and performance.100% of ticket sales goes straight to the performing company. Dempsey's benefits from bar sales that is incremental to the core business.We believe this is unprecedented and benefits all parties.