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Theatre Royal

Toytown Building
1920-1930 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

A model building of a theatre made primarily of card on a card and wooden base. The main block of the building has two storeys at the front and one at the back where there are steps leading up to the stage door on the left of the building.. There is another lower addition at the rear with double doors to the left side. The front entrance is a grand pillared porch with two internal open arched doorways marked Stalls and Circle. Between these is the Tickets window. On either side of the Theatre Royal sign is a classical mask. The outside paintwork is primarily mustard coloured. The doors and the front entrance are orange and the roofs are terra cotta. The front of the main block is painted with a variety of colours and decoration includes two triangular areas of painted stonework and a multicoloured sunburst. There is a metal flagpole with paper flag depicting a Noah's Ark which slots into a hole in the entrance roof. The building is hollow with a small cutout open section at the very back.


Object details

Object type
TitleTheatre Royal (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Painted and glued plywood and card
Brief description
Painted wood and card building, the Toytown Theatre Royal, made by S G Hulme Beaman in the 1920s
Physical description
A model building of a theatre made primarily of card on a card and wooden base. The main block of the building has two storeys at the front and one at the back where there are steps leading up to the stage door on the left of the building.. There is another lower addition at the rear with double doors to the left side. The front entrance is a grand pillared porch with two internal open arched doorways marked Stalls and Circle. Between these is the Tickets window. On either side of the Theatre Royal sign is a classical mask. The outside paintwork is primarily mustard coloured. The doors and the front entrance are orange and the roofs are terra cotta. The front of the main block is painted with a variety of colours and decoration includes two triangular areas of painted stonework and a multicoloured sunburst. There is a metal flagpole with paper flag depicting a Noah's Ark which slots into a hole in the entrance roof. The building is hollow with a small cutout open section at the very back.
Dimensions
  • Maximum base measurement length: 46cm
  • Maximum height: 31cm
  • Maximum base measurement width: 50.5cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • THEATRE ROYAL (on front of building)
  • STAGE DOOR (above side door; paint)
Credit line
Given by Betty Billett
Object history
One of Hulme Beaman's own original Toytown buildings that he used for scene-setting prior to writing and illustrating his stories and plays
Bibliographic reference
Hulme Beaman, S.G. The Book of Toytown and Larry the Lamb, London: Harrap, 1979
Collection
Accession number
B.20-2000

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Record createdJanuary 31, 2001
Record URL
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