The National Theatre has procured 4 mobile air conditioners to augment the central air conditioning system which has been operating below capacity for many years.
This comes months after the media and some entertainment critics complained about the unbearable heat in the auditorium of the National Theatre.
Complaints by patrons
On 18th May, 2017 at the National Theatre, Nana Kwame Ampadu bashed authorities of the National for the heat in the auditorium during a freestyle performance at the MTN Heroes of Change programme.
In the course of the performance, while singing ‘Te W’anim,’ he said: “you are here enjoying the show but see how you are fanning yourself due to heat. Tell the authorities responsible to fix the air cons.”
A similar thing happened at Becca’s anniversary concert. After the concert held on 21st October, 2018, some patrons including entertainment pundit Nana Poku Ashis took to Facebook recount how they got literally burnt in the auditorium.
“The management of the national theatre must not rent out their facility out to no ph**ing persons until they fix the bloody accommodation…. Whaaaaaaaaat heat be what…eiii this is craaaasszy. This is a disgrace to the creative art ministry and industry…. Some lazy funny a** nigg*z must lose their jobs…. Xylofon media please bless us with an auditorium ok e no hard for you guys koraaa.. humble appeal duh,” he wrote.
Another entertainment journalist Christian Agyei Frimpong of Onua FM also wrote on Facebook: “Mama Amy Frimpong, CEO of National Theatre, You have not been able to fix the air-conditioning system at the theater as you promised? The place is very hot what.”
Director of National Theatre explains the cause of the heat in the auditorium
The Executive Director of the National Theatre Amy Appiah Frimpong explained that the air conditioners were functioning except that they were in lower capacity than they were when originally installed.
“We’ve talked about this for a couple of months now and it’s the same issue. When the air-conditioning system was replaced, they put it lower capacity air conditioners. So it’s not like it’s not functioning – it works. On Saturday it was working,” she told Citi FM’s Kwame Dadzie.
They promised to buy mobile A/Cs after media backlash
After the fiery criticism of the heat in the auditorium, the authorities of the theatre decided to buy mobile air conditioners to add on to the low-capacity air conditioner that has been in place for the past 25 years.
In November 2017, the Deputy Executive Director of the National Theatre, Tawfik Prah, hinted they had started the process of procuring new mobile A/Cs.
“Admittedly, the theatre itself has the air conditioning system in place but we just need to augment it so that we can stay in our best capacity for any of the programmes that come our way. So in the interim, we trying to procure 10 horsepower mobile air conditioners in order to augment what we have,” he said.
This was reiterated by the Executive Director of the National Theatre, Amy Appiah Frimpong at the launch of the 25th anniversary on 19th December, 2017 that the air conditioners would arrive at the theatre latest by January 2018.
“We have just finished the procurement of free standing air conditioners to supplement what we currently have in place. So hopefully when you come in here in January, new air conditioner will be in place and you would have a better experience,” she stated.
The mobile A/Cs are in now
The 4 mobile AC’s sighted by Citi FM’s Kwame Dadazie have been fixed in the auditorium of the National Theatre. There are two at the down floor and two upstairs.
Speaking to the Deputy Director of the theatre, Tawfik Prah on 8th March, 2018, he said the air conditioning system at the theatre had improved upon the installation of the new air conditioners.
“We have 4 air conditioners at the moment which to our standards are working very well and satisfying the purpose for which they were purchased. We have had few shows after they were installed and I can say the condition is better now,” he said.
About National Theatre
The National Theatre, opened in 1992 was built by the Chinese and offered as a gift to Ghana. The theatre is governed by the National Theatre Law 1991, PNDC Law 259.
It has a building area of 11,896 square metres (128,050 square feet), and is sited near the junction of the Independence Avenue and Liberia Road. The building has a complicated construction moulding and novel exterior features. When looked at from a distance, the whole structure looks like a gigantic ship or a seagull spreading its wings.
The building houses the three resident companies of the National Dance Company, the National Symphony Orchestra, and the National Theatre Players.
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By: Kwame Dadzie/citifmonline.com/Ghana
