The National Theatre was a cultural centre situated at the foot of Fort Canning Hill near the corner of Clemenceau Avenue and River Valley Road. Plans to build a national theatre for the people were first announced in November 1959 by then Minister for Culture S. Rajaratnam. Kallang Park was initially earmarked as the site for the theatre but this was eventually changed to Fort Canning Hill. A National Theatre Fund was subsequently launched during National Loyalty Week to collect public donations for the project. More than $800,000 of the $2.2 million spent on the structure came from public donations, resulting in the theatre being dubbed the ‘People’s Theatre’.The nearly completed theatre was officially opened on 8 August 1963 by Yang di-Pertuan Negara (Head of State) Inche Yusof Ishak in time for the first Southeast Asia Cultural Festival. Designed by local architect Alfred Wong, the theatre had a five-pointed facade and crescent-shaped fountain which represented the five stars and crescent moon found on the state flag. Located behind the main building was an open-air amphitheatre with a cantilevered steel roof. Managed by the National Theatre Trust, the theatre was used as a venue for entertainment events, university convocations and important public events such as the National Day Rally. The theatre was also a good site for viewing fireworks displays at the top of Fort Canning during the annual National Day celebrations held from 1966. In January 1984, the theatre was closed down due to safety concerns over its structural integrity. The building was demolished in 1986 to make way for the construction of the Central Expressway.
