In the early 1980s, the theatre was labelled structurally unsafe due to defects discovered in its cantilever roof. Other notable events such as the Miss Singapore and Mr Universe were regularly held at the National Theatre too.īehind the two heritage markers lies the former site of the National Theatre today The then future Prime Minister of Singapore, Goh Chok Tong attended his convocation at the theatre on 6 June 1964. The University of Singapore used to hold their annual convocations at the National Theatre until the early 1980s. In the 1960s and early 1970s, many world-famous and legendary personalities that have performed at the theatre, included the following: These performers were taking part for the first time in which the First President of Singapore, Encik Yusof bin Ishak described the event as a "South-East Asian cultural renaissance". Its first show, the Southeast Asian Cultural Festival, was attended by 11 Asian countries such as princesses from Cambodia, glamorous film stars from Hong Kong and folk dancers from all neighbouring countries. Many important performances were staged at the National Theatre from 1966 to 1982, the annual National Day Rally was held at the theatre too. Louis Armstrong was one of the international artists who had performed previously at the Singapore National Theatre ![]() It also had a revolving stage which was rarely used and cost S$10,000 annually to maintain. The theatre had no side or rear walls and only the huge roof shielded the audience from the elements. The most significant feature of the National Theatre was its huge 150-tonne cantilevered steel roof which stretched to the slopes of Fort Canning a five-pointed facade which represented the five stars of the Singapore flag in the same way as its outdoor fountain was supposed to represent the crescent moon. For instance, it later proposed to promote professional shows “like the Georgia State Ballet, the Bolshoi Ballet”.ĪWP Pte Ltd were the Architects of the building. As a result, arts is used to shape the citizenry into a more “cultured” image, and several initiatives were launched by the National Theatre Trust (NTT). Rajaratnam: "Music, painting, drama, literature and a concern for beauty generally are what transforms a prosperous society into a civilized society." Moreover, there was also the problem of “unhealthy, yellow culture” as per 'West' influenced. However, slowly, there emerged a general sense that Singapore society was highly industrial, albeit lacking in refinement, as commented by Mr. The urban resettlement programme, National Service, and the arts were therefore envisaged to be the pillars of 'nationalism'. It is important to leverage on the common experiences of the people to engineer a shared identity. On, The then Minister for Culture, S Rajaratnam, formally received the keys of the theatre from the company which carried out the construction said: "The theatre provides a good example of how the success of any effort depends ultimately on the co-operation and dedication of people from all walks of life." Post-independence Īfter the separation with Malaysia, it was thought that it is necessary to galvanise the people of Singapore to view themselves as citizens of a new and independent nation. It had 3,420 seats and was built with funds jointly donated by the Singapore government and the public through "a-dollar-a-brick" campaign with song requests made on radio. The success of these concerts sparked the idea of a National Theatre thus in that same year, the building was commissioned.Ĭosting S$2.2 million to build, the theatre was designed by local architect Alfred Wong in 1963 after his firm won a design competition to build the first national theatre. Lee gathered the various cultural groups in Singapore to stage a series of concerts (Aneka Ragam Ra’ayat) wherein cross-viewing of others’ ethnic performances was advocated. The establishment of the Ministry of Culture, as it notes, Mr. Prior to the National Theatre's establishment, the western slope of Fort Canning Hill (known as King George V Jubilee Park) was relatively bare as the only occupant being the Van Kleef Aquarium. ![]() It was once the venue for various international performances, universities' convocations and the National Day rallies until it was demolished in August 1986 due to structural reasons and to make way for the nearby construction part of Central Expressway along Clemenceau Avenue. ![]() The theatre was officially opened on 8 August 1963 to commemorate Singapore's self-governance and was the first and largest national theatre in Singapore back then. The National Theatre ( Malay: Panggong Negara Chinese: 国家剧场) was built on the slope of Fort Canning Park along River Valley Road in the Museum Planning Area of Singapore.
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