Recommendation published ahead of Council Executive to discuss The Harlequin Theatre & Cinema

The recommended option put to the Executive is to cease the current Harlequin arts and cultural activities and focus on the development of a business case for a medium-term cultural offer.

We shut the doors to the theatre in September 2023 after the discovery of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). We hoped it would be a temporary closure, but due to the extent of the RAAC identified so far and the complex structure of the building, we do not expect to be able to re-open the theatre in the foreseeable future.

Keen to keep access to the arts alive while the building has been closed, the Council’s theatre team delivered the successful Big Top Panto in Memorial Park and is delivering its regular ‘Harlequin Outdoors’ summer programme in Reigate’s Castle Grounds. We also opened the Harlequin Pop-Up in The Belfry shopping centre, Redhill, which has hosted some small live performances, workshops and meetings, but is limited by constraints such as size.

Cllr Nadean Moses, Executive Member for Sustainability and Leisure explains “Our commitment to providing an arts and cultural offer in the medium and long-term remains strong. However, whilst the theatre is closed, we need to rationalise our costs and focus our efforts on developing future options.

“Therefore, in the short term, the recommendation is to concentrate our efforts on exploring opportunities for future arts and culture in our borough, with no future events scheduled after the Outdoor Theatre programme finishes on 7 September. This would significantly reduce our operating costs.

“We propose to engage with local stakeholders, including existing and potential users of art and cultural spaces, residents, customers and others in developing the offer.

“If the recommendation is adopted, many of our loyal, hardworking staff would be impacted and sadly some formally put at risk of redundancy. Our priority is to continue to work closely with them regarding what the changes would mean for them and their roles.”

The Executive report, to be debated by Executive Members on Thursday 15 August, outlines reasons for the recommendation. Communication of a final decision will follow.