Manoel Theatre

The Manoel was built in 1731 at the expense of Grand Master António Manoel de Vilhena, who paid for it himself for the honest recreation of the people, and it has been in more or less continuous use since, which makes it one of the oldest working theatres in Europe. The auditorium is small and oval with three tiers of boxes in gilded wood and a painted ceiling, seating around five hundred and thirty. Tours run in the day and the season runs from autumn to spring.

History

The Grand Master bought two houses from the Priory of Navarre for 2,186 scudi, and the theatre was finished in only ten months; the first play, Scipione Maffei's tragedy Merope, was staged on 9 January 1732 with knights as the actors. First called the Teatro Pubblico, it became the Teatro Reale in 1812 and the Teatru Manoel in 1866 (Wikipedia, Manoel Theatre).

The main sights

• The oval auditorium - three tiers of gilded wooden boxes around a small oval.
• The painted ceiling - the decorated dome above the auditorium.
• The 1731 date - among the oldest theatres in Europe still in regular use.
• The backstage tour - the working parts of the building shown on daytime visits.

When to go

The performance season runs from October to May. Daytime tours run through the year at set times. Rehearsals can close the auditorium to tours without notice.

Before you go

Tours are short and rehearsals sometimes cancel them. Sightlines from the upper boxes are poor. The building is small and the visit is brief unless a performance is attended.

Nearby

The Grand Master's Palace is nearby, and St John's Co-Cathedral is south.

Key facts