Legendary theatre and cultural creative heart of the city
- 18, Guildford Crescent, Colombo 07
- Open daily 10am – 6pm
- +94 112695794
- Website
An art gallery with a purpose
Lionel Wendt is the artistic heart of the city. Opened in 1953, this was Colombo’s first real theatre. This place was a hive of creative activity. It was a centre for the arts in the wide sense of the word; from drama to poetry, from sculptures to concerts. The heart of the place was upstairs in the Art Centre Club. Here creative people, artists and other like-minded liberal progressive people met, discussed and argued about everything from art to religion to politics.
The spirit of Lionel
Here lives the legacy of Lionel Wendt, one of the country’s most brilliant photographers and pioneer of Sri Lankan modern art. Lionel was outspokenly gay and incredibly liberal for the time: 1930’s. He was also very respected in Colombo society. After his death in 1944 his friend and fellow artist Harold Peiris wanted to create a place in his memory, a place for all to enjoy and to freely express and exchange ideas, and so he did.
It was an oasis of liberalism in a traditional society. Some brilliant minds came to fruition here.
Insider secret
The very first production to go on the boards at ‘the Wendt’ was Maxim Gorky’s The Lower Depths in 1953. that very year, directed by Neumann Jubal. Not much has changed, the theatre is just as intimate as it was in the early days, grab your chance to see a show, exhibition or other artistic performance.