Copyright expressandstar
The world's smallest theatre in the West Midlands which fell into a state of disrepair following a fire has reopened seven years after being saved by a group of volunteers. The Theatre of Small Convenience was once a Victorian toilet and is only big enough to seat 12 people in front of a tiny 1.5m (4.9ft) stage. It opened in Malvern, Worcestershire, in 1997 and was officially named the world’s smallest commercial theatre by Guinness Book of World Records in 2002. The tiny building - which measures just 5.23m (17ft) long and 2.8m (9.1ft) wide at its widest point - was forced to close in 2018 following a fire. However it was brought back to life after local residents clubbed together to restore the unique theatre to its former glory. Friends Loz Samuels, Dibah Farooqui and Dr Jan Birtle took ownership before embarking on a two year restoration project. The little theatre enjoyed a big reopening with a music and comedy performance to a sold out crowd - of a dozen people - on Friday October 24. Loz, the theatre’s creative director, said: "We were determined to give this world record breaking theatre the encore it deserved. I can’t quite believe we’ve got to the point of opening, it has been both terrifying and exciting in equal measure. "It is just such a unique and intimate space, there's not really anything else like it. The place has a special vibe and is an inviting space in which to interact. It's not like these big corporate flashy and shiny places which we have so many of everywhere, and that's what appealed to us. "All our shows are sold out but people might say that's easy with 12 seats but it really has been a labour of love. We have a variety of shows coming up from now on - from children's storytellers to an Edinburgh Fringe show called Sceptre. We'll have a Narnia-style grotto in December and we even have a wedding booked for December 28 so it'll be a little wedding venue too. "We've had to get creative to find what works in this sort of space. But you don't even need to see a show, it's just an amazing space to be in. It's been really special to see it all come together after all our hard work." The theatre's stage is made of old furniture, old table legs and parts of a violin, and was first built based entirely on recycled materials. Original owner Dennis Neale had showcased comedy productions and performed his own puppet shows in the theatre for two decades. After he retired in 2017 it passed into the hands of a college drama department but a fire started by a faulty dehumidifier caused extensive smoke damage. Renovating the building The building - a former gents toilet block - has since been transformed by the trio through a fundraising campaign yielding around £25,000 in donations. However they feared for its future after being rejected Arts Council funding before managing to secure enough with the help of Malvern Hills District Council. Loz said: "It took a year of just paperwork, writing business plans and meetings just to help secure the funding before we could start renovating last September. “It had a new roof, because after the fire there were a lot of leaks, it really damaged the roof so water got in and made the building vulnerable. It was quite a major renovation - we've done the drainage too as we're on a hill, it has had a full rewire and underfloor heating. We've managed to keep all the original woodwork and restored that and painted murals around the space too. "We've had some council funding and with the help of donations we've secured around £25,000 in total. We have so much support and it makes you feel part of a community." Above the tiny stage are the Latin words “Multum in parvo” - meaning “much in little". Loz said: "That's become somewhat of our motto and we're proud of what we have achieved here - we hope our audiences enjoy it."
