The Hoover Theatre, also known as the Hoover Live Cinema and the New Hoover Cinema, was a theatre located at the junction of

Balestier Road Balestier () is a sub zone located in the planning area of Novena in the Central Region of Singapore. The main road, Balestier Road, links Thomson Road to Serangoon Road and the road continues on as Lavender Street. The area is home to rows ...

and

Jalan Ampas Jalan Ampas is a street near Balestier Road in Singapore where the movie studios Malay Film Productions and its affiliate Shaw Brothers were located. Etymology and history The name Jalan Ampas owes its heritage as a sugar cane plantation in the e ...

Balestier Balestier () is a sub zone located in the planning area of Novena, Singapore, Novena in the Central Region, Singapore, Central Region of Singapore. The main road, Balestier Road, links Thomson Road, Singapore, Thomson Road to Serangoon Road and ...

, Singapore.

History

Plans to build a theatre along Balestier Road were first announced in 1958 by

Runme Shaw Runme Shaw, K.St.J (; 1 January 1901 – 2 March 1985) was the chairman and founder of the Shaw Organisation of Singapore. Runme Shaw and his brother, Run Run Shaw, together known as the Shaw Brothers, were pioneers in the film and entertainme ...

of the

Shaw Organisation Shaw Organisation is a film distribution company and cinema chain founded by brothers Runme Shaw and Run Run Shaw who went to Singapore in the 1920s to expand their family business founded by Runje Shaw. The company originally operated as a d ...

. Hoover Theatre opened in 1960, screening Chinese blockbusters and newly-released movies, as well as English movies. The theatre also screened Japanese movies during annual culture festivals that lasted from 1977-1980. By the 1980s, attendance of the theatre had declined, and the theatre was leased off to television producer

Robert Chua Robert Chua Wah-Peng (born 20 May 1946) is a Singaporean broadcaster and businessman. Background Born in 1946 in Colony of Singapore, on 20 May 1946, he has worked internationally in Australia, Hong Kong and China as well. Among other activities ...

, who renamed it the Hoover Live Theatre. After Chua took over, the theatre stopped showing films began showing clean live shows intended for families instead. In February 1983, the theatre obtained its entertainment license, as well as its first variety show. However, by 1985, following the closure of the Petrel Live Theatre, the Rex Live Theatre, and the

Sun City Live Theatre Sun City Live Theatre was the only English-language live theatre in Singapore, located in the Orchard Towers. History Sun City Live Theatre was a theatre on the fourth floor of the Orchard Towers. The only English-language live theatre in Singapore ...

, the theatre was one of two remaining live theatres in Singapore, along with the

Golden Live Theatre Golden means made of, or relating to gold. Golden may also refer to: Places United Kingdom *Golden, in the parish of Probus, Cornwall *Golden Cap, Dorset *Golden Square, Soho, London *Golden Valley, a valley on the River Frome in Gloucestershir ...

, and was the only one operating full-scale. The live theatre was also behind on rent, and continued to operate in spite of this. In 1989, the theatre was leased off to the His Sanctuary Services church to 1991, and the church moved into the theatre. The head of the church, Reverend Roderick Tay, did not have qualms about moving into a theatre, and believed that the theatre was an ideal location for a church. In December 1991, the church gave up its lease on the theatre as it was looking for a more permanent place to hold services. Indian video and music cassette distributor Kavitha Video Centre leased the theatre for three years, and renamed the theatre as the New Hoover Theatre. The theatre began showing films in Tamil, Sinhalese, Malayalam and Hindi, and was the first theatre to screen Indian movies regularly. The theatre closed in 1996, and was demolished, along with the original Shaw Plaza and President Theatre, in July 1996 to make way for Shaw Plaza-Twin Heights. The new Shaw Plaza opened in November 1999, along with the Balestier Cineplex, which replaced Hoover Theatre.

References

{{coord, 1.3249, 103.8487, display=title 1960 establishments in Singapore 1996 disestablishments in Singapore Demolished buildings and structures in Singapore Buildings and structures demolished in 1996