ToSC | |
 The Theatre of Small Convenience | |
 | |
| Address | Edith Walk Malvern, Worcestershire United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 52°06′43″N2°19′47″W / 52.11194°N 2.32972°W |
| Owner | Malvern Hills District Council |
| Designation | World's smallest commercial theatre |
| Type | specialist, puppetry. exhibition space |
| Capacity | 12 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | November 1999 |
| Rebuilt | = |
| Years active | 18 |
| Tenants | |
| The Theatre of Small Convenience CIC | |
The Theatre of Small Convenience is a theatre on Edith Walk in Great Malvern, Worcestershire, England, founded by local performer and puppeteer Dennis Neale in 1997, [1] opening for the first show in November 1999. [2]
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In 2002 it entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's smallest commercial theatre, seating up to 12 people. [3] It is less than half the size of the previous record holder, the Piccolo Theatre in Hamburg, Germany. [1] [4]
The theatre's name comes from the building's original purpose – it was converted from a derelict Victorian gentlemen's public convenience. It is trapezoidal in shape, 16 feet (4.9 m) long and from 6 feet (1.8 m) to 10 feet (3.0 m) wide. [1]
The theatre regularly hosted puppetry shows, often created by Neale himself, along with offerings by professional and amateur actors, drama, poetry, storytelling and opera, and became a regular venue of the Malvern Fringe Festival. In 2005 the theatre was chosen as one of the venues for an international puppetry festival. [5]
In 2017, the theatre faced closure following Neale's retirement, with the building falling into disrepair, compounded by a dehumidifier fire damaging the walls and destroying the roof. [6]
A group of local volunteers subsequently acquired the building from the local council, and crowdfunded £17,000 for renovations. [6]
The theatre was featured in the book Twenty Theatres You Should See Before You Die by Amber Massie-Blomfield. [7] A plaque honouring Dennis Neale is fixed to the exterior wall. [6]
