Drama Festival
Tuesday, 1st August 1978
The first Drama Festival was held between 1 - 13 August 1978 as part of National Day celebrations. It was launched by the Ong, Teng Cheong, acting Minister of Culture, at the Victoria Theatre and the first play was Ping Sheh Peking troupe's Madam White Snake. It was funded by Nanyang Siang Pau with at least 15 plays performed in the four national languages, profiling the talent of local troupes. Despite some criticisms over poor acting, the response to the festival marked a new stage in local drama production.