In the Theatre Shop I have a special treat for you this time.
Sometime ago I was given a picture book. It wasn't complete, most of the binding was lost, but it seemed very old.
The pictures looked like colored lithographs and they showed the story of Puss in Boots, played as a pantomime in a theatre. Originally the book was probably American, because the theatre was hung with the Stars and Stripes , but not so that you could count them and thereby put a date to it.
The picture of the theatre itself was not very complete, but I was tempted to use it as a basis for a design of my own. So I scanned and copied and pasted and PhotoShopped and at last it is ready.
On the next pages you will find the pictures to download and instructions to build the theatre.
Be warned that downloading will take an awfull lot of time so be sure to have some coffee ready.

The original design was done at 150 dpi and millions of colors. Of course the file size was too big for the Web so the version you will find here is at 72 dpi and 64 colors. If you print it on High Quality paper it will look fine just the same.

If anyone is interested is the original higher quality prints, and has something to trade them for, just give me an email and I will send them to you.
If anyone wants a more permanent copy of the theatre, I can put the the files on a CD Rom for you.

In the next Issue of this magazine, around Easter, I hope to have the play of "Puss in Boots" ready for you.

Though the design of the construction and part of the graphics (at least) are mine, I think you should do with the theatre what you like as long as you don't make a commercial venture out of it. So copy it, give it away, play with, it make amendments (and let me know them) just be so kind as to make a mention of my name if you make copies of it.

Let me know if you liked it, that way I will know if it is worth the trouble to finish the play.

So Email me

First of all Gigi Sanbergs marvellous toy theatre homepage.
Her page has a lot of links and email addresses so you should really look her up.

www.datasync.com/~g_sndbrg

Ab Vissers has an email address. Like I said earlier on Ab is the Nestor of the Dutch toy theatre collectors and for many of us a source of inspiration.
I trust he will be delighted to hear from you.

absiman@compuserve.com

Gabrielle Warden of Pollock's Museum at Scala street, has her own homepage now, have a look.

members.tripod.com/~Toymuseum/index.htm

The there is Fritz Kannik who is fast becoming a good friend he has a nice website and a lot of interesting things to talk about.

www.glasscity.net/users/fkkannik/theater.htm

The Covent Garden shop has an Internet Catalog where you can order all kinds of toys and theatres.

freespace.virgin.net/louise.heard/pollock.htm

Simon Wilkinson from England has a website where he promotes the work of a new designer who has done for instance "Showboat", "The Phantom of the Opera" and other new plays

www.sgwilkinson.freeserve.co.uk/tt/index.htm