ichael Everett of MED Publications and the English Toy Theatre Co. sees himself as a one-man preservation society for the magical world of the Victorian toy theatre.  Michael, a former crown illustrator, operates his art and design studio in Sheffield, England.  He has spent years building up a collection of toy theatres, cut-out scenery, character, and scripts.  Michael works closely with a network of collectors to gather all the information to revive "lost plays" which he then produces.

ach time Michael has all the pieces needed to complete a play, he makes sure thy will never be lost again.  This process has been known to take as long as four years to collect all the components.  "The originals have become so rare that only specialized collectors can afford them."  Theses charming theatres were popular between 1811 till the turn of the 19th century.  Today, radio, television, videos and the computer have robbed the family of home grown entertainment.  A pot of glue, a set of watercolor paints an a little imag9ination can create a whole world of dram, romance and adventure.  At the height of the craze there were no fewer than 30 London publishers turning our miniature theatres.  Now just  handful of artists continue the tradition worldwide.  Michael Everett carries on the process of hand painting sheets of figures and scenes by hand.  He also works with original Victorian machinery whenever possible.  Michael is truly someone who may be called "The Toy Theatre Man."