Curtain Up! The History and Magic of Toy Theatre

The Juvenile Drama – photo BTMM

Here at Brighton Toy and Model Museum, we love the world of miniatures. Life on a small scale can take us anywhere – even to the theatre! 

This November, we welcome a very special display of toy theatres collected by Andrew Woodfield, whose involvement with the museum spans 35 years. 

The exhibition, Curtain Up! The World of Toy Theatre, runs from 6 November 2026 to 9 January 2027. 

A Lifelong Love of Theatre 

Andrew is a theatre and opera lover who regularly attends the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, sitting "in the best seat I can afford". However, his passion for the theatre goes all the way back to his childhood. 

Andrew recalls: 

"Aged four, going to the Lyceum Theatre in Sheffield to see my first opera, The Magic Flute, sitting in a theatre box with Grandma, Nanny Alison and Great Aunt Ada – I was transfixed." 

From the mid-1950s, young Andrew and his cousins discovered the excitement of creating their own toy theatre performances for their extended family audience. Scripts, songs, puppets and characters were made and adapted from popular plays and pantomimes, or based on current films – to the audience's delight (and sometimes fright!). 

Andrew was central to these productions, using his artistic talents to create stages, players, scenery and props. His lifelong love of theatre was born, and later, as an adult, he began collecting commercially produced toy theatres, just some of which will feature in our exhibition. 

The Origins of Toy Theatre 

Toy theatre was originally known as 'Juvenile Drama'. The first printed versions are attributed to William West (1783–1854), a library proprietor and publisher in Georgian London. 

Around 1811, West commissioned an engraved and coloured sheet featuring six characters from a popular London theatrical production, originally intended as a souvenir of the live performance.

However, children began cutting out the characters to perform the play themselves, and West developed the idea of 'Juvenile Drama', producing characters and scenes that could be fitted onto a miniature stage. 

German toy theatre sheet Schreiber 1894 – photo BTMM

The Victorian Heyday 

The popularity of these child-sized, affordable toy theatres grew steadily, reaching its heyday in the 1830s, when dozens of printers, including Redington, Green and Webster, were plying their trade in London. 

By the 1850s, however, they were competing with more sophisticated imported German toy theatres, and many smaller businesses struggled to survive. 

The 1860s saw a huge rise in the popularity of the 'penny dreadful' – illustrated, sensational stories published in weekly instalments, sometimes accompanied by a free toy theatre sheet. 

From the late 1870s, the number of toy theatre makers began to decline. However, one of the most enduring names in toy theatre history was about to emerge: Benjamin Pollock (1856–1937). 

Pollock took over the business of John Redington in Hoxton after marrying his daughter, Eliza, and began putting his own name on the printing plates. 

Following an endorsement in the 1880s by author Robert Louis Stevenson, Pollock's became increasingly popular. The toy shop was frequented by children and famous names from the London stage alike. 

Bringing the Miniature Stage to Life 

Pollock's toy theatres were sold in various sizes, along with the now-famous theatrical sheets of players and scenery, available for 'a penny plain, twopence coloured'. 

The paper prints could be cut out and glued onto card, with scenery and characters moved on and off stage using wire or wooden sliders. 

More sophisticated examples featured wooden bases forming a box stage, which, particularly in German toy theatres, could also be used for storage. Many included an illustration of an orchestra across the front. 

Frames surrounding the stage allowed for cloth or paper curtains, changing scenery and elaborate backdrops, bringing the excitement of a full-sized theatrical performance into the home. 

Pollocks new improved stage front c 1970 Aladdin – photo BTMM

Andrew's collection includes many fine examples of Pollock's and Redington's theatres, illustrating the enduring appeal of these intricate designs. 

Toy Theatre in the 20th Century 

The toy theatre trade continued into the 20th century, with many different makers operating internationally. 

Popular designs were frequently reprinted over many years, making surviving theatres difficult to date.

One example in the Brighton Museum collection had been owned by the same family for several generations. Some original Victorian coloured sheets had only been cut out and mounted much later, onto card printed with the words "Business Accounts for 1924"! 

Following Benjamin Pollock's death in 1937, his daughters continued the family business. 

In 1944, Pollock's remaining stock was purchased by Alan Keen, who fortunately removed it shortly before the original Hoxton premises suffered bomb damage during the Second World War. 

Keen established new premises in John Adam Street, Adelphi, and proved to be an entrepreneurial and ambitious businessman. 

During the late 1940s, Keen revived the Regency toy theatres, helping to generate renewed interest in the traditional miniature stage. 

However, his success was short-lived, and by 1951 the business had entered receivership. 

Fortunately, it was rescued in 1955 by Marguerite Fawdry, a BBC journalist and toy theatre enthusiast, who purchased the remaining stock. 

Marguerite established a shop at 44 Monmouth Street, near Covent Garden, and subsequently founded a toy museum, drawing upon the historic examples inherited from Pollock's. 

The museum and shop moved to Scala Street in 1969. A range of toy theatres was developed, including both new designs and reprints, which were successfully sold internationally. 

Pollock's and the Modern Era 

A later owner of Benjamin Pollock's Toyshop in Covent Garden Market was the actor Peter Baldwin.

An acknowledged expert on toy theatres, Peter ran the shop from 1988 until his death in 2015. 

He is also remembered for playing the long-running and popular character Derek Wilton, husband to the long-suffering Mavis, in the television soap Coronation Street. 

In the 21st century, the availability of toy theatres has benefited from digital printing, the internet marketplace and easy access to auction websites, where highly collectable examples of both historic and modern designs can be found. 

Discover the Magic of Toy Theatre at Brighton Toy and Model Museum 

Andrew's collection of toy theatres, on display at Brighton Toy and Model Museum, illustrates over 150 years of production, as well as the social history of popular theatre. 

With international examples from Denmark, Hungary, France and Germany, the exhibits range from sophisticated, elaborate constructions to simple designs intended to be assembled from something as everyday as a cereal box. 

Some impressive examples stand ready for a performance to begin, while others remain in their original printed sheets or card books, uncut and unassembled. 

All demonstrate the skill and imagination involved in small-scale design, creating something magical that can be assembled, brought to life and enjoyed by children and adults alike. 

Illuminated for display, these miniature stages reveal the enduring charm and theatrical magic of the toy theatre. 

Curtain Up! The World of Toy Theatre is on display at Brighton Toy and Model Museum from 6 November 2026 to 9 January 2027.