Updated at 9.25pm

Musicians rehearsing at Malta’s grandest theatre had their enthusiasm for practice considerably dampened on Saturday, as drops of water dripped onto the Teatru Manoel stage.

Video uploaded to social media showed water droplets falling down the baroque theatre and collecting on puddles on its stage, as musicians sat on chairs nearby, umbrellas at the ready.

Theatre management blamed the unexpected water ingress on heavy rains.  

"Water ingress experienced this morning resulted from a drain pipe not coping with the rainfall," the theatre's management committee said. 

"No damage whatsoever was caused to any of the recently-installed climatisation equipment or to the fabric of the theatre itself." 

Rehearsals resumed within an hour, once the water was mopped up, the committee added. 

The Teatru Manoel will be hosting a concert by the Naxxar Peace band club on Sunday evening.

The Valletta theatre, which dates back to 1732, is one of Europe’s oldest and a Grade 1 scheduled building.

It underwent €1.8 million renovation works just last year, reopening its doors just in time for Valletta’s year as European Capital of Culture.

Heavy rains battered the Maltese islands throughout Saturday, forcing event cancellations and two FA Trophy matches to be postponed.