My memories of Kallang Theatre
Posted by oceanskies79 under Buildings and Monuments, Reflections
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Kallang Theatre which is now no longer in operation has a place in my memories. As you read about my memories of Kallang Theatre, I invite you to share yours too.
I first visited Kallang Theatre about fifteen years ago. To be honest, it was quite out of the way from my home. If not for the fact that my secondary school had organised a cultural show to be staged at Kallang Theatre, I would not have known the existence of Kallang Theatre.
Fifteen years ago, I played the double bass in the Chinese Orchestra. Before setting off to Kallang Theatre, one of the first necessary things to do was to transport the instrument from the school to the Theatre. For your information, yours truly was a student of a girls’ school in my secondary school days. There wasn’t such a thing as getting the males to help. There were a few male teachers but they were very few in comparison. Since I figured that there wasn’t many males to turn to for help, I learnt to become more self-reliant: Just do it. No rule says that carrying heavy things is only meant to be left to the males.
When we reached the Kallang Theatre, the next thing to do was to proceed to the holding area. The Chinese Orchestra that I was a member of was assigned a holding area somewhere on the basement level, if my memory does not fail me.
One thing I particularly remember was the exciting times that I have had when I ventured about the various dressing rooms, the various holding areas and various other corners of the Kallang Theatre. I could do so only during the allocated waiting time, when the other performance groups were rehearsing their items on stage. It was fun. Kallang Theatre felt like a fascinating maze to me. Thankfully, my sense of direction was good enough to guide me back to the Chinese’s Orchestra’s holding area. It was an asset to have a good sense of direction. During the rehearsals, if I knew my way about the theatre, it was possible for me to sneak to the audience seats to catch a sneak preview of some of the items put up by the other performing groups.
The cultural show which lasted for about three days was a fairly major event for my secondary school in those days such that a performer could be excused from classes. Yours truly admittedly enjoyed the privilege of taking a break from the normal routine of studying in the class-room.
Photo Credits: Photo taken from Access to Archives, Singapore. PhotoCD Number: 19980001184, Image Number: 0034. This photo of the exterior of the Kallang Theatre was taken in year 1986.
Photo Credits: Photo taken from Access to Archives, Singapore. PhotoCD Number: 19980001184. Image Number: 0022. (This photo was taken in year 1986 at Kallang Theatre.)
The greatest challenge that I remember was the task of carrying the double bass from the holding area right up to the stage. There were many flights of stairs to take just to get to the stage. I remember the stairs were fairly narrow. I was literally walking like a crab up the stairs. Furthermore, the cultural show held in year 1992 was staged not just on one night, but on three nights. Imagine climbing up the stairs to go the stage to perform, and then walk back down again when the performance was done. At my age then, I was so inexperienced at the double bass that I didn’t quite know how to carry it with ease.
Performing on the stage was quite a new experience for me back then. It was actually my first time performing on stage playing the double bass. I can’t remember if I was feeling nervous back then, but I remember that dry ice was used for our item so as to create an effect of clouds floating about in the air.
What I had appreciated most about my participation in the cultural show was not the chance to perform on stage, it was the friendship and spirit of comradeship that was forged as a result of having spent three consecutive days and nights rehearsing and performing at the Kallang Theatre. Another unforgettable part was the rousing cheers that many of the performers would engage themselves in after the finale of each night’s performance. The power of the female teenagers’ voices, screams and cheers was certainly deafening enough to make the air in the Kallang Theatre vibrate vigorously. Thank goodness that Kallang Theatre remained well-grounded.
Kallang Theatre is now no longer in operation. It has closed its doors in Mar 2006. But I know my memories of the Kallang Theatre would continue to stay.
Now that I have shared my memories of Kallang Theatre, please do share with me yours, if you have any. Thank you.
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(13) Comments
Posted by: chunsee
Posted on: June 22nd, 2007
Wow. All that hard work. No wonder you have strong memories of this place. Did you know that when Kallang Theatre was built, it was the largest theatre in Spore in terms of sitting capacity; overtaking Prince in Beach Rd? At that time, cinema-going was a big leisure activity. But I seldom went to KT. The only movie I can recall seeing there was Zulu. But, I often went with my brothers and frinds to the Kallang Bowl next to it. Sometimes we didn't stop till closing time. Then we would adjourn to the hawker centre at Old Airport Rd for supper. Yes, those were the bachelor days.
Posted by: oceanskies79
Posted on: June 22nd, 2007
Hi Chun See, yes. And I had performed there at least in three different years, maybe four. I definitely don't know that Kallang Theatre was the largest theatre in Singapore when it was built. However, I know that NUS used to hold convocations there many years ago before the University Cultural Centre was ready for use. And many of the National Day Rally speeches were held there ages ago, as best as I can remember. And it could be because Kallang Theatre was one of the largest theatre around. Maybe if we have PM Goh as a reader of yesterday.sg, he could contribute his memories of Kallang Theatre too.
Posted by: Returned Sparrow
Posted on: June 25th, 2007
Oh yes, I have great memories of Kallang Theatre, too.... 1. My first encounter with musical, and I still remember sat at the last row watching Les Miserable and regretted not bring a binoculars with me! Nevertheless, there's when I first fall in love with musicals :D 2. There's where my NUS convocation took place... after 3 years sweating in the organic lab. 3. I shed my first tears after watching the 10th anniversary concert put up by sudents of the school that I taught for more than 10 years. It was the last performance I watched before leaving the country for one year.
Posted by: oceanskies79
Posted on: June 25th, 2007
Returned sparrow: Thank you for sharing about your memories of the Kallang Theatre. Ah, Kallang Theatre must have been the place to go to in the past for musicals?
Posted by: Returned Sparrow
Posted on: June 27th, 2007
Oh yes, it was a popular place before the performances moved to Esplanade or Indoor Stadium. It's so comfortable sitting in those cushioned chairs. Some musicals performed in Kallang Theatre includes Les Miserable (in 1994 & 1996), Phantom of the Opera (1995), Joseph & the Technicolor Dreamcoat and The Sound of Music. Great shows! Oh yes, the long walk to the main road before catching a bus home... those were the days... now? The durian - Esplanade.
Posted by: oceanskies79
Posted on: June 29th, 2007
Returned Sparrow: Oh yes, I have heard from my friends that Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserable were staged there. I am looking forward to someone sharing about their experiences watching one of these opera at Kallang Theatre. I used to dread that walk to the main road from the Kallang Theatre. However, now that I look back, I realised that I treasure those moments when I had to take those long walks with my friends. It gave us more time together back then.
Posted by: nicholas tan
Posted on: March 24th, 2010
Thanks for sharing your memories. I spent 5 good years at the theatre from 1985 as a theatre technician. Yes, 24 years had passed. I can still recalled vividly the world class shows that had taken place at the stage, Evita, A Chorus Line, Swan Lake, Giselle, Cinderella,Don Giovanni,Peking Opera, Phantom of the Opera and many many more. When I left the theatre in 1991, I came back to watch CATS, Les Meserables,Joseph and his amazing technicolour coat as an audience. Occasionaly, I drive past the theatre to relive the fond memories I had.
Posted by: newbiee, wanna get wooed
Posted on: March 24th, 2010
It's cool. I was doing research on past kallang. It helps a hell lot. tksa 'ot
Posted by: newbiee, wanna get wooed
Posted on: March 24th, 2010
I wonder when was the time where the last person visited this web....
Posted by: py
Posted on: March 24th, 2010
Newbiee....I'm glad you have found this useful.
Posted by: py
Posted on: March 24th, 2010
Nicholas, thank you for sharing your memories too. Great work you have put in! Performers could have moments of glory on stage, thanks to the theatre technicians who see to making sure that things go well behind the stage.
Posted by: Retrospect
Posted on: April 20th, 2011
The Singapore Land Authority is launching a tender for the Kallang Theatre. Let's hope the successful bidder will restore Kallang Theatre to it's former glory. http://www.sla.gov.sg/htm/new/landDec10/article5.html
Posted by: Jack Ang
Posted on: January 30th, 2012
HI, oceanskies79 just wondering do you have first hand experience on this place? or know friends who have? I am a student from NUS, and is currently working on a project about singapore heritage. i sincerely hoped that you can help me in this. (: cheers
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