2023-04-01 | BY TFC

Plaza Theatre, Rose Hill, Mauritius

History of the Plaza Theatre The Plaza theatre forms part of a municipal complex that the local authorities decided to erect in 1927 following a petition from the inhabitants requesting the construction of ‘a theatre worthy of the growing importance’ of the locality. In those days, only one place could accommodate the companies that came each year to Mauritius to perform operas or operettas, namely the Port-Louis theatre. Consequently, when performing outside of the capital, the companies were obliged to accept the rather narrow stages of unsuitable cinema halls. At the same time, given the ongoing development of the town, the local authorities were eager to have a permanent headquarters and space for offices. A national competition led to the choice of the present structure, i.e. three bodies surrounded by stone-built stairs, linked but independent one from the other, with one aisle for municipal offices, another forming a wide hall where balls and banquets could be organized, and the main central body for the theatre auditorium. The first company to perform on the Plaza stage was, finally, as soon as 1934, a local company, the Mauritius Dramatic Club, playing in English plays from the English-speaking repertoire with Shakespearian dramas, comedies and/or detective stories... Very soon, were performed various live shows in different languages though French and English were the most frequent: classical plays, dramas, comedies, operettas, operas, variety theatre, ballets, traditional dances (in particular, Indian), festivals, bodybuilding shows, fashion shows, magic shows, conferences Those shows were not only proposed by foreign companies, but also and often by local groups. And, in parallel with the film projections which never stopped since the opening of the theatre gathering the amateurs, the three bangs preceding the opening of the traditional red curtain were regularly waited for by the audience. The first Mauritian plays to be produced were, in the 1950s, Mirages and Iscariote by Arthur Martial, then La Verrue by Andre Masson and Judas by Malcolm de Chazal in 1960.