Surveys start at Raac theatre a year after closure

The Harlequin Supporting Group was set up to promote the repair and reopening of the theatre

Surveys into a crumbling Surrey theatre which closed a year ago will start this week.

Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) was discovered in the Harlequin Theatre, in Redhill, in September 2023 and it has been closed since.

Reigate and Banstead Borough Council said the Raac survey will begin this week as well as a full building condition survey, with results expected on 15 November according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The Harlequin Support Group (HSG), set up to promote the repair and reopening of the theatre, placed a huge cake prop outside the council building to mark the anniversary of the theatre’s closure.

"It’s been a year of being told to wait for more information," said Saskia, 25, a member of East Surrey Performing Arts and one of the founding members of HSG.

She said while she appreciated there had been "complications" with the building’s lease arrangement, she claimed the council had "left local performances without a theatre for far too long".

A pop-up space hosting performances closed in September and the council has not committed to a new substitute venue in the run up to Christmas, meaning there are no plans for a pantomime in the area.

Councillor Victor Lewanski said at a full council meeting on Tuesday: "It would be premature to make commitments to the Harlequin’s restoration before the surveys have been completed and the findings have been considered."

He said council officers were considering different scenarios that may arise depending on the outcome of the Raac survey and building condition surveys.

The council is asking for residents' views on what a temporary space for performing arts might look like while the theatre is out of action.