The Theatre of Small Convenience
Encyclopedia
The Theatre of Small Convenience is a theatre
in Malvern, Worcestershire
, England
. In 2002 it entered the Guinness Book of World Records
as the world's smallest commercial theatre, seating up to 12 people. It is less than half the size of the previous record holder, the Piccolo Theatre in Hamburg, Germany.
The theatre is located in Edith Walk, Great Malvern
. Local puppeteer
Dennis Neale started work on the theatre in 1997, opening for the first show in November 1999. The theatre's name comes from the building's original purpose – it was converted from a derelict Victorian
gentlemen's public convenience. It is trapezoid
al in shape, 16 feet (4.9 m) long and from 6 feet (1.8 m) to 10 feet (3 m) wide.
The theatre regularly hosts puppetry
, professional and amateur actors, drama, poetry, storytelling and opera, and has become a regular venue of the Malvern Fringe Festival
. In 2005 the theatre was chosen as one of the venues for an international puppetry festival.
Theater (structure)
A theater or theatre is a structure where theatrical works or plays are performed or other performances such as musical concerts may be produced. While a theater is not required for performance , a theater serves to define the performance and audience spaces...
in Malvern, Worcestershire
Malvern, Worcestershire
Malvern is a town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, governed by Malvern Town Council. As of the 2001 census it has a population of 28,749, and includes the historical settlement and commercial centre of Great Malvern on the steep eastern flank of the Malvern Hills, and the former...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. In 2002 it entered the Guinness Book of World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
as the world's smallest commercial theatre, seating up to 12 people. It is less than half the size of the previous record holder, the Piccolo Theatre in Hamburg, Germany.
The theatre is located in Edith Walk, Great Malvern
Great Malvern
Great Malvern is an area of Malvern, Worcestershire, England. It is the historical centre of the town, and the location of the headquarters buildings of the of Malvern Town Council, the governing body of the Malvern civil parish, and Malvern Hills District council of the county of...
. Local puppeteer
Puppeteer
A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object, such as a puppet, in real time to create the illusion of life. The puppeteer may be visible to or hidden from the audience. A puppeteer can operate a puppet indirectly by the use of strings, rods, wires, electronics or directly by his or...
Dennis Neale started work on the theatre in 1997, opening for the first show in November 1999. The theatre's name comes from the building's original purpose – it was converted from a derelict Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
gentlemen's public convenience. It is trapezoid
Trapezoid
In Euclidean geometry, a convex quadrilateral with one pair of parallel sides is referred to as a trapezoid in American English and as a trapezium in English outside North America. A trapezoid with vertices ABCD is denoted...
al in shape, 16 feet (4.9 m) long and from 6 feet (1.8 m) to 10 feet (3 m) wide.
The theatre regularly hosts puppetry
Puppetry
Puppetry is a form of theatre or performance which involves the manipulation of puppets. It is very ancient, and is believed to have originated 30,000 years BC. Puppetry takes many forms but they all share the process of animating inanimate performing objects...
, professional and amateur actors, drama, poetry, storytelling and opera, and has become a regular venue of the Malvern Fringe Festival
Malvern Fringe Festival
The Malvern Fringe Festival is an arts festival which takes place in Great Malvern, England. The main events of the Malvern Fringe Festival are the MayDay and the annual three day festival held in June as a fringe to the Elgar Festival...
. In 2005 the theatre was chosen as one of the venues for an international puppetry festival.