The Navarangahala (''"New Theatre"''), in

Colombo Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo m ...

, is one of the main national

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

s of Sri Lanka.

History

Built between 1966 and 1969 by the 4 Field Engineer Regiment, SLE as the Royal Primary School Hall, it was specially designed for local drama and music which required open air type auditorium in accordance to Natya Shastra. Funding for the construction and equipment came from the government and donations. Until it was built there were no purpose-built indoor theatres for the local arts, apart from the few open air amphitheatres. The foundation stone for the theatre was laid by the Minister for Education, I. M. R. A. Iriyagolla, on 11 November 1966 and it was officially opened by the

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

Dudley Senanayake Dudley Shelton Senanayake ( Sinhala: ඩඩ්ලි ශෙල්ටන් සේනානායක: ta, டட்லி சேனநாயக்கா; 19 June 1911 – 13 April 1973), was a Sri Lankan statesman who served as Prime Min ...

on 1 August 1969. Following the amalgamation of

Royal Preparatory School Royal Preparatory School (also known as ''Royal Primary School'' or ''Royal Junior School'') was a preparatory school in Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Its grounds and buildings now form the primary school of the Royal College Colombo. Histor ...

with Royal College in December 1977, Navarangahala became part of Royal College.

Notable events

On 22 May 1972 the

House of Representatives of Ceylon The House of Representatives was the lower chamber of the parliament of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) established in 1947 by the Soulbury Constitution. The House was housed in the old State Council building in Galle Face Green, Colombo and met for the ...

met at the Navarangahala to finalise and approve the Republic

Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When these princ ...

, which proclaimed establishment of the Republic of Sri Lanka.

References

{{Reflist Theatres in Colombo District Legislative buildings in Sri Lanka Cultural buildings in Colombo Royal College, Colombo Tourist attractions in Colombo