MALVERN'S Theatre of Small Convenience is getting ready for the new spring season with some fundraising events.

The theatre - certified as the world's smallest by The Guinness Book of Records - played host to a bric-a-brac sale on Saturday.

"We need to raise money to cover insurance and similar costs," said impresario Dennis Neale. "We raised £85, which is good by our standards and will keep us going for a couple of months."

The Edith Walk theatre, which seats 12, was converted from a former public toilet and opened its doors four years ago.

The new season will start in May with a production of the Epic of Gilgamesh, an ancient Middle Eastern legend.

The season will also feature a revival of Quackery Codswallop, Mr Neale's five-minute nonsense play, which proved a hit last summer.

"The tourists seemed to like it and we had 800 people to see it last year, which is not bad," said Mr Neale.