 Despite numerous alterations over the years, it retains many of its old architectural features, such as the white Carrara marble staircase, shell-shaped niches, and Viennese chandeliers.Two water reservoirs beneath the floor create an acoustic environment that is so precise, that the hushed page-turnings of an orchestra conductor can be heard clearly throughout the auditorium.Following the destruction of the Royal Opera House by Axis bombardment on April 7, 1942, the Manoel Theatre was expropriated by the Government of Malta in 1956, and was quickly restored to its former glory.