Teatru Manoel (Manoel Theatre)

The Manoel Theatre (Teatru Manoel) stands at 115 Old Theatre Street (Triq tat-Teatru l-Antik) in Valletta, Malta, and is among the oldest working theatres in Europe. It was built in 1731 and opened in January 1732 by order of Grand Master Manoel de Vilhena of the Order of St John, who wanted a respectable venue for entertainment for the Knights and townspeople. The horseshoe-shaped auditorium is richly decorated in gold, cream and blue, with tiers of boxes, painted ceiling decoration and a stage that still hosts opera, concerts, ballet and drama. Visitors on a guided tour are taken into the auditorium and sometimes backstage, and the tour explains how the theatre served as a venue through British rule, was converted to other uses for a time in the 19th century and was restored in the 20th century. A small museum area displays costumes, programmes, photographs and objects from the theatre's history, including items linked to past performances. The Manoel Theatre is the home of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra's regular performances and hosts the Valletta Baroque Festival and other events, so an evening performance gives a different experience from the daytime tour. Tours usually take about 45 minutes and run at set morning times, so checking teatrumanoel.mt for the schedule is recommended; tours may not run on days with rehearsals or events. The theatre is a short walk from City Gate and close to the Grand Master's Palace and Casa Rocca Piccola. Morning tours are usually quiet, and performance evenings are busy around curtain time. Photography in the auditorium may be restricted during rehearsals and performances.