Nelum Pokuna Mawatha, Colombo 07
Open Depends on performance
The Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre is beautiful on the outside but a bit cheap on the inside. Still worth a visit.
Address
Nelum Pokuna Mawatha, Colombo 07
Directions
The theatres is at the Alexandra Roundabout, where Horton Place ends and across from Vihara Maha Devi Park.
Contacts
Report InaccuracyOpen Depends on performance
Price Range
Ratings Breakdown
3/5
I thought I was the only one who thought its cheap.
Well I went in there for pre-concert rehearsal once, and found out that even the sound system they use is cheap (Chinese) knock offs. and they allow only a selected sound companies to use their own sound equipment inside the hall. The only best thing about is its "Room Acoustics" which absorbs un-wanted noises and makes a quality sound system sound better.
Typical Sri Lankan article against Rajapaksha without his name. How sad… Sri Lankans never satisfied and never appreciate any good work… I hate this country now with these stupid politicians and stupid medias who talking about there stupid works :(
What the hell you mean cheap carpet? and cheap wood? did you touch and check the quality of it? May be it wont be matching with your taste, but it is unethical to openly criticize it.
Yamu is trying to make their readers to think the same way how they think of things.
I can't help but wonder why you didn't check for synonyms for the word "Cheap". Using the word "cheap" so many times in the article made the article very CHEAP. Ironic isn't it? Additionally you started off saying the interior was impressive and ended it saying it wasn't impressive. You said it looked beautiful but then said it looked cheap some where down the line (come to think of it, you pretty much said cheap everywhere else). You didn't sound interested in writing the article at all. It sounded like it was a cheap waste of your time.
It's not that bad. It's a massive step up, considering Sri Lanka didn't have a large-scale theatre halls beforehand. Also, at times we can make the mistake of overestimating other theatre halls. E,g, Sydney Opera House is nice, but the tiles are rather yellowish and faded close up and most inside hall isn't that different to a normal decent hall despite it's fame.
Had one of the most unpleasant musical concert experiences of my life during the Salalihini Raathriya show held at the Nelum Pokuna - Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre yesterday. This does not extend to the quality of music at the event, which was top notch, but to the organizing of the event and the rules and procedures of the Nelum Pokuna theater itself.
It was my first trip to the Nelum Pokuna Theater and was feeling really upbeat about it because I had really wanted to experience what the best state-of-the-art theater in country had to offer for years now.
The show was organized by ජාතික රූපවාහිනිය - Sri Lanka Rupavahini (TV) Corporation and was to supposed to start at 7.00.
We arrived there at around 5.30, quite early mind you, in order to get the online tickets swapped for normal tickets and to find good seats. We were able to get the tickets sorted out very quickly but had to wait in a queue for a good 45mins before we were let in and it was sweltering and we were sweating buckets. We were yearning to get into the A/C.
The hall was just there; it did not have to be cleaned or anything like a film theater has to be, after earlier show. We were told that "Sir, said only let people in at 6.30" excuse. But that itself was okay, because there might be an official time before an audience was to be let in. So not that much an issue. It was when we finally got to enter things got worse.
You were not allowed to take in and food or water bottles into the theater!!! Friggin WATER BOTTLES!!!! Now food I can understand, its a really nice hall and you did not want people to drop crumbs and wrappers and make a mess of things, but to not allow us take water bottles; what were they thinking? And soon the small table, that people had to leave food and beverages on, was looking like a well-stocked canteen.
When we got inside the hall we realized that the architect who had designed the place had thought that the second balcony was only going to be used by giraffes. The angle was such that a reasonable portion of the stage was obstructed by the front railing/ balcony wall and unless you stood up or strained yourself over the balcony, the people in the very front rows or the side partitions, weren't seeing shit.
Then the show started at around 7.10 and things got better. The quality of the performers was enhanced by the great acoustics of theater and so the music was really good.
But the shitty organizers had not thought of having an interval. The show went along non-stop until 10pm and we were seated for 3 straight hours, more than 3 if you consider the time we entered the hall. And unless we were willing to miss a part of the show there was no way of either going to the loo or even to take a sip of water. And even for that we had to go back to that small table sift through all that food and bottles to find our one and take a drink.
I don't know how much of this experience was due to the Nelum Pokuna Adiministration,which consists of Military personnel, or the organizers (The interval issue is certainly theirs, there was no way they could not have had a 15min break in the middle). But I can safely say that I will be averse to going to another such show at the Nelum Pokuna; I certainly will think twice before going unless I get a free invite or something. For one thing its expensive and you certainly do not have to go through this much trouble to enjoy oneself.
I have a new found respect for the Youth Center, Maharagama and I've gone to plenty of shows in that. It might not be air-conditioned, but its cheaper, much closer to home, and I've never had any complaints about it, its accoustics, its services or had any severe criticisms about the organizing. AND THEY LET YOU TAKE IN FRIGGIN WATER BOTTLES!!!!
5/5
MCG
The cheap inside which was experienced by many has now changed into a more classy looking interier. Which forces me to give it a 5 star
3/5
Deve
I thought I was the only one who thought its cheap.
Well I went in there for pre-concert rehearsal once, and found out that even the sound system they use is cheap (Chinese) knock offs. and they allow only a selected sound companies to use their own sound equipment inside the hall. The only best thing about is its "Room Acoustics" which absorbs un-wanted noises and makes a quality sound system sound better.