CANCER FREE, Model Theatres and other activities
As of October/November 2021 I am described as cancer free by my Oncologist, and no longer subject to regular scanning or even regular consultations. As of November 2021, I am about to celebrate my seventh birthday since the diagnosis of terminal cancer (August/September 2015) and I have almost grown used to the fact that my relationship with mortality is the same as anyone else. I think the only difference now is that I have an enhanced appreciation of life, and a greater enjoyment in the beauty of the world, and as a result I have gained from the experience.
During remission, I began to make light-up wooden theatres. As a boy, I spent many hours drawing and painting and cutting-out figures and ‘sets’ for a similar theatre my Dad made for me. I never performed ‘plays’ with it, or anything like that, but I think it may have been what started me on the path to animation. In any case, I returned to toy theatres in my dotage!
The first sets were made of heavy-duty cardstock, and had various backdrops that slid into place at the rear of the theatre.
The stage area was magnetised to allow flat single-sided figures with magnets attached to their bottom edges to stand upright.
Figures and backdrops came as separate sets.
After a while all sets of this type I made and offered for sale were bought, so I updated the theatres I made. They were now made from wood, and as the cutting machine I owned couldn’t cut the heavier material, the wooden pieces for the theatre, and the figure shapes etc are cut for me by BLOTZ, a company that make beautiful laser-cut model kits and craft objects, as well as a lovely range of other craft items and games. They also offer a service cutting material to other people’s designs (in the process giving assistance in ensuring those designs best meet their purpose!) They can be found here:
https://blotz.co.uk
The basic theatre was simpler, and access to the battery holder easier. Each theatre came with a pair of double-sided backdrop panels, so that with the backdrop design already in place five different scenes are possible. These panels slide very easily in and out of place.
The new theatres were available in three colours – predominately the colour of the curtains – red, blue, and purple.
Each theatre had the same set of double-sided backdrop panels, although I have also made an alternative set.
The theatres were also supplied with a set of six wooden performers – acrobats, jugglers, dancers – which were also wooden. They were flat double-sided figurines on round bases, and as they didn’t require a magnet-receptive surface to stand upright etc, they could be used independently as little ornaments, toy figures etc.
As well as the figures supplied with a theatre as a set, I made other figure sets (and a set of other backdrops)
Activities after model theatres
As of 2026 I have reached the age of 76, and have survived the terminal diagnosis by at least ten years, and have long since stopped banging on about it. I have also stopped making model theatres, because although I didn’t sell a vast number, I did become a star seller on Etsy for a while and I have to admit I became tired of making theatres to meet a pretty steady demand, selling elsewhere as well as on Etsy. I decided to close the shop temporarily for a rest – but that became a very extended closure.
I find myself now with the tide going out and stranded on the shores of the wrong side of history. In the distance are the glowing lights and echoing fanfares of CGI and AI. What, I wonder, would the point be of still drawing and painting and making things? Because life is a wonderful thing. Because the world – however cruel, chaotic, and savage it might be – is always staggeringly visually beautiful. Because although it may be pointless drawing and painting things may make us exist in this swirling streaming strange reality where change and time are – if not the same thing – then conjoined Siamese twins always moving in one direction. Things never change back, and time always goes forward. But I can try to echo a period of my life in the painting school at Chelsea School of Art over fifty years ago. So now in the winter of my years it’s drawing and painting again for me, thankful for the wonderful beauty of the world and the extended life I have enjoyed, even if AI can do far better than my limited talents.
I have reopened my Etsy shop, renaming it as Poor Richards Prints to reflect it’s total lack of model theatres, and offering prints of artwork past and present and hopefully the future, examples as above. Other offerings in the shop are prints of older stuff, most of which appear already on this site, or on the Richard Ollive Animation site. My new shop can be found here :