In the historical sense, Toy Theatre, the "juvenile drama", refers to souvenirs of actual 19th Century stage productions, especially from the London Stage. These reproductions were usually cheaply printed engravings, sometimes available in crudely handcolored editions, showing the characters from a show in various poses, along with reproductions of painted backdrops and wings. Major set pieces might also be included. Middle-class boys were then supposed to color, cut out, and mount their own nursery production of the piece An abridged script was available with rather cryptic instructions for presentation in a tabletop model theater which could also be made from printed sheets, or purchased as a wooden toy. Similar productions were available on the Continent late in the century, often more elaborately printed via color lithography, and correspondingly expensive.
The printing of juvenile drama editions began around 1830 as an outgrowth of catchpenny sheets, part of the industrial revolution which included the mass production of toys cheap enough for the masses. Plays and theatrical portraits were printed and reprinted for the next Þfifty years, a long enough period for such ephemera to become memorabilia and a record of the theatre of the times. Their charms were enshrined in R.L.Stevenson's essay "A Penny Plain and Twopence Coloured", which led to books by Wilson, a noted early 20th century London theatre critic, and Speaight, a historian of British popular theatre. The last publisher to survive was Pollock's Toy Museum on Scala St. in London. The Internet has become a new venue for marketing this form; see URLs below
Until recently, the idea of Toy Theatre remained a historical curiosity, appreciated by theatre academics, practiced on occasion by members of the British Model Theater Society. It was only a peripheral form of puppetry, especially in this country, where toy theatre was only occasionally published originally, sometimes in newspapers. There were a few children's cut-out books, and odd speciality printings, like Gorey's toy theatre version of his Broadway set for "Dracula." However, productions by Great Small Works, and the efforts of others in the New York avant-garde have recently changed given new life tot he form. Internationally, the regrowth of serious small scale avant-garde puppet theatre has also included renewed interest in this seeming antique. The need for smaller tourable productions may also play a part.
Toy Theatre can be seen as playing with theatrical forms and concepts in miniature. It focuses on the manipulation of elements of design, dramaturgy, and stereotyped characterization to create dramatic effects. Unlike some contemporary puppetry, it does not explore the essence of that branch (if not root) of theatre, but rather emulates what might be done on a grand scale using full-sized actors on a large stage. In the broadest sense then, a toy theatre production, as opposed to contemporary adult puppetry, including object theatre and theatrical animations, will probably have the following characteristics.
1) Characters will be usually represented
in full Þfigure, from head to toe. They will share a common
scale. They will be metaphorically puppets, truly manipulated
in the service of the show.
2) The performing area will in some way suggest a space were human
actors might appear, normally a proscenium stage. Thrust, space,
even arena staging is also possible, however, which leads to intriguing
options.
3) The puppeteer (often only one regardless of the number of characters
in the play) may be visible, but does not interact with them.
This operator is their master, moving Þfigures through the
drama. As well, the presenter will not normally dress in "invisible"
backstage blacks, but rather in conservative street dress.
4) The Þfigures have little or no animation, sliding on
and off stage on cue. Thus any special trick movements are especially
striking. Characterization will depend on poses and dialogue.
5) Dialogue will be theatrical, without the movement punctuation
typical of puppet drama. Scenes may be entirely static.
6) Scenic changes will resemble those from the larger theater
and may thus become an important part of the show. In this media
age, varying the size of Þfigures immediately becomes an
option. It is likely however, that all Þfigures in the same
scene at one time will have the same scale.
7)There may of course be more than one scene visible at a time.The
performing area may go beyond what might be possible for mere
mortals, but will be an extension of modern scenic ideas, rather
than the particular traditions of the puppet stage. Interactions
between manipulator and Þfigure if any will have a much
different character than the comfortable comic traditions of puppetry.
8) Movement is governed by the "less is more" principle;
toy theatre uses poses, not action. Dialogue is formal and extensive,
tending to longer passages. One can imagine Pinter or even Shepard
done as Toy Theatre, but probably not Mamet. Scene changes involving
lighting, up to and including shadows or curtain of light may
deÞdefinitely go beyond traditional toy theatre, but will
still emphasize the theatricality of moment.
Of course, once such limitations are suggested, experimental theatre
artists will begin to stretch them. The most successful will make
it clear when they are going outside the bounds for effect. An
enlarged portrait of a recognizable historical figure, perhaps
with a moving mouth, can be used alternately with a full-figure
cutout, for example.
The primary difference between conventional puppetry and toy theatre is the sense of masterful play; of the artist(s) looming over the production, focusing attention on details and poses, controlling the þflow of the action from scene to scene. Characters become much more archetypical; events may take on greater seriousness. It may seem strange that a remnant of 19th century urban commerce should become and inspiration for an aspect of avant-garde experimental theatre.The current interest in Toy Theatre is another example of the continual convergence and divergence of puppetry and the larger theater of live actors and commerce. Whether its current visibility will translate into a lasting broader influence depends on current puppet artists exploring its possibilities and refining the form for contemporary purposes.
For a discussion of recent performances, see "Puppets at Night"