The National Arts Theatre is located in the heart of Surulere, Lagos State. The national theatre is the primary center for art performance in Nigeria.
The National
Arts Theatre was completed in the year 1976 in preparation for the Festival of
Arts and Culture (FESTAC) in 1977. The collection of National Gallery of Modern
Nigerian Art is housed in a section of this building.
The Construction of the famous National Arts Theatre
started by the military regime of General Yakubu Gowon and completed during the military regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo.
The exterior of the theatre is shaped like a military
hat. The National Arts Theatre was designed and constructed by a Bulgarian
construction company. The Theatre has a 5,000-seater Main Hall with a collapsible stage,
and two capacity cinema halls, all of which are equipped with facilities for
simultaneous translation of 8 languages; among others. The national theatre bears
a resemblance to the Palace of Culture and Sports in Varna, Bulgaria completed
in 1968.
There are some new development on the National
theatre that will be unfolded soon.