Victoria Theatre Act 1903

Victoria Theatre Act 1903

2020 REVISED EDITION

This revised edition incorporates all amendments up to and including 1 December 2021 and comes into operation on 31 December 2021

An Act relating to the use of the Victoria Theatre.

[8 May 1903]

Whereas the present Town Hall of Singapore, hereinafter referred to as the Old Town Hall, is situate on a portion of the land comprised in Government Grant No. 8 dated 11 May 1864, and made between the Secretary of State for India in Council on behalf of Her Majesty Queen Victoria of the first part and the Municipal Commissioners of Singapore of the second part, and is now vested in the Municipal Commissioners of Singapore in fee simple, subject to certain trusts in favour of the public set forth in a deed which cannot now be found:

And whereas, in order worthily to perpetuate the Memory of Her late Majesty Queen Victoria and Her Glorious Reign, a fund has been raised for the purpose of erecting upon another portion of the said land a building called “The Victoria Memorial Hall”, which said building is intended to be held by the Municipal Commissioners of Singapore in trust to allow the same to be used for the proper purposes of a Town Hall:

And whereas it would be for the public benefit that the Old Town Hall should cease to be used for the general purposes of a Town Hall and should be converted into a public Theatre, to be used for such entertainments and other purposes and upon such terms and conditions as the Municipal Commissioners think fit:

And whereas it is doubtful whether, in accordance with the trusts of the said before-mentioned deed which cannot now be found, the Municipal Commissioners may lawfully permit the Old Town Hall to be converted into and to be used as a Theatre:

And whereas it is anticipated that the said fund will be more than sufficient for the completion of the Victoria Memorial Hall, and it is desirable that power should be given to apply any surplus in altering the structure of and in furnishing and equipping the Old Town Hall so as to fit the same for permanent use as a Theatre.

Short title

1.  This Act is the Victoria Theatre Act 1903.

Purposes of Victoria Theatre

2.—(1)  The Government shall hold the Victoria Theatre upon trust to use it for such public purposes as it thinks fit, and from time to time, at its discretion, and upon such terms and conditions as it thinks fit, to permit any person or company to use it for the public or private representation of stage plays or the holding of public or private entertainments, theatrical or otherwise, concerts or public meetings.

(2)  The Government may refuse any application made for the use of the Theatre without assigning any reason for its refusal.

Exemption

3.  The Victoria Theatre shall be exempt from the operation of the Public Entertainments Act 1958.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

Victoria Theatre Act 1903

 

This Legislative History is a service provided by the Law Revision Commission on a best-efforts basis. It is not part of the Act.

1.  

Ordinance V of 1903—The Municipal Theatre Ordinance 1903

Bill

:

G.N. No. 405/1903

First Reading

:

6 April 1903

Second Reading

:

17 April 1903

Notice of Amendments

:

24 April 1903

Third Reading

:

1 May 1903

Commencement

:

1 May 1903 (assent)

8 May 1903 (publication)

2.  

1920 Revised Edition—Ordinance No. 82 (Municipal Theatre)

Operation

:

28 November 1921

3.  

1926 Revised Edition—Ordinance No. 82 (Municipal Theatre)

Operation

:

1 August 1926

4.  

1936 Revised Edition—Municipal Theatre Ordinance (Chapter 173)

Operation

:

1 September 1936

5.  

1955 Revised Edition—Municipal Theatre Ordinance (Chapter 257)

Operation

:

1 July 1956

6.  

1970 Revised Edition—Victoria Theatre Act (Chapter 324)

Operation

:

31 August 1971

Note:

The Municipal Theatre Ordinance was renamed as the Victoria Theatre Act in the 1970 Revised Edition.

7.  

1985 Revised Edition—Victoria Theatre Act (Chapter 342)

Operation

:

30 March 1987

8.  

2020 Revised Edition—Victoria Theatre Act 1903

Operation

:

31 December 2021

Abbreviations

	(updated on 29 August 2022)
G.N.	Gazette Notification
G.N. Sp.	Gazette Notification (Special Supplement)
L.A.	Legislative Assembly
L.N.	Legal Notification (Federal/Malaysian)
M.	Malaya/Malaysia (including Federated Malay States, Malayan Union, Federation of Malaya and Federation of Malaysia)
Parl.	Parliament
S	Subsidiary Legislation
S.I.	Statutory Instrument (United Kingdom)
S (N.S.)	Subsidiary Legislation (New Series)
S.S.G.G.	Straits Settlements Government Gazette
S.S.G.G. (E)	Straits Settlements Government Gazette (Extraordinary)