Curtains up! World's smallest theatre reopens at last after fire

THE world's smallest theatre which fell into a state of disrepair following a fire has reopened seven years later after being saved by a group of volunteers.

- ED CHATTERTON

Michael Hughes performs 'The Last Bantum' at The Theatre of Small Convenience on November 11

(Pictures: SWNS)

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 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.

And at the end of last month the little theatre enjoyed a big reopening with a music and comedy performance to a sold-out crowd of a dozen people.

Loz, the theatre's creative director, said: "We were determined to give this world record-breaking theatre the encore it deserved.

"Reopening was both terrifying and exciting in equal measure but it has gone really well so far and all our shows have been sold out.