The State Theatre in Pretoria opens

The State theatre in Pretoria opened in 1981 as a non-profit government funded company. The Japanese- influenced building is actually a complex of theatres. At the time of construction, it was the first of its kind in Southern Africa.  The theatre consists of five arenas, a large public square and a number of restaurants. It can accommodate any event, from festivals, product launches to shows such as opera,  ballet and musicals. Today, the State theatre and all the theatres in the country rely on public funding. This was brought on by the embarrassing 2000 investment scam that saw millions lost as well as hundreds of jobs. Despite this set back and lack of support from the government financially, the theatre continues to host a number of shows and seems to be growing from strength to strength. References: Visit Pretoria State Theatre Pretoria  [online] Available at: http://www.visitpretoria.co.za [Accessed on 14 may 2012] The South African State Theatre About the South African State [online] Available at: http://statetheatre.wowinteractive5.co.za [Accessed on 14 may 2012]