Stage set for reopening of world's smallest theatre in Malvern
The Theatre of Small Convenience closed back in 2017 but after having work done to restore it, will reopen tonight (24 October)
The world’s smallest theatre in Worcestershire will return to the limelight this evening (24 October), eight years since it closed.
Based in Malvern, the Theatre of Small Convenience shut in 2017 when owner Dennis Neale retired.
It then went onto suffer a fire, with a group eventually formed with the aim to restore the building and bringing it back into use by setting up a community interest company (CIC), using the funds created to carry out the necessary works.
'Huge journey' to bring it back into use
They got the keys in January this year and have been working since to get it ready and return it to its former self.
Now it is set for its grand reopening, which takes place tonight, creative lead for the theatre Loz Samuels says it's exciting to have it back.
“It’s been a huge journey,” she said.
“I can’t quite believe we’ve got to the point where we’re opening, it’s kind of terrifying and exciting in equal measure, it seems like an eternity but also come very quickly upon us.
“There’s so much detail, we had to pretty much take it back to the bricks really and save what we could, so there was a lot of restoration work and a lot detail to get it looking as it does now."
World record holder
The theatre, which used to be an old Victorian toilet before its current use, was originally opened in 1999 in the town by its founder Mr Neale, two years after he took it over.
After its launch, it was officially recognised by the book of Guinness World Records in 2002 as the world's 'smallest commercial theatre', covering just 10.14 square metres (109.1 ft²).
Samuels says it has been a real team effort to get it sorted and founder Mr Neale has been helping them along the way.
She said: “There’s just been loads of people that have come to help which has been fantastic, loads of people in the community have just come and cleaned and volunteered to do stuff, it’s just been brilliant.
"It’s such a special little place and I think there’s very few places like that now so I think people value them even more in a way.
“Dennis (the founder) has been on the journey with us all the way through which has been really lovely, he’s obviously very knowledgeable, he knows the building inside and out so all the questions we’ve had, he’s been there in the background helping.”
Following the reopening, the theatre is also set to in the near future welcome a couple from New Zealand to get married there.
It also says has plans to be used for a 'variety of events', including things like a grotto over the festive period and it'll be involved in the Great Malvern Festival of Stories for Children over this weekend.