Executive to agree next steps on The Harlequin Theatre and potential new Redhill arts and culture venue

The theatre was closed in September 2023 following discovery of the Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC).

The first report, makes recommendations to secure the future of The Harlequin Theatre and bring it back into use as soon as possible, including:

• Proceed with removal of the RAAC and essential works to allow reopening of the theatre at previous capacity.
• Appoint a specialist company to market and seek expressions of interest for The Harlequin to be run by a third-party operator, with a budget of up to £40,000 for this work, funded from Council reserves.
• Subject to the outcome of the pre-market engagement, delegate decisions around how to work with a third-party to senior officers, the Portfolio Holder for Finance, Assets and Governance and the Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture.
• Allocate up to £4.5 million funding from Council reserves to fund a design team and the works required to bring The Harlequin back into operation. If approved this will also need to be agreed by Full Council.
• Enable senior officers, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Finance, Assets and Governance, to appoint a design team, secure a contractor to remove the RAAC, undertake the other essential works and enter into a licence to alter the Council’s agreement with the head leaseholder prior to commencing works.

The second report focuses on the creation of a new arts and culture venue in Unit 5 of the Council’s The Rise, a development in Redhill which also houses The Light Cinema and entertainment complex. The report includes a series of recommendations including to: 

• Appoint a specialist company to market and seek expressions of interest for Unit 5 to be run by a third party, with a budget of up to £30,000 funded from Council reserves.
• Subject to the outcome of the pre-market engagement, delegate decisions on how to work with a third-party to senior officers, the Portfolio Holder for Finance, Assets and Governance and the Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture.
• Allocate £1 million funding from Council reserves to fund the design and set-up for Unit 5 to be run by a third party. If approved, this will also need to be agreed by the Full Council.
• Enable senior officers in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Finance, Assets and Governance and the Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture (subject to approval of funding by Full Council) to move forward with the design and enter into a fit-out contract for the venue

Prior to the Executive meeting on 12 June, the Overview & Scrutiny (O&S) Committee will receive an update on both these projects. They will provide comments and observations on the outlined recommendations for Executive to consider.

Cllr Richard Biggs, Council Leader, said: “We remain committed to bringing The Harlequin Theatre back into use and securing its future. The recommendations seek to balance the community aspirations to bring the theatre back into use as quickly as possible with the need to prioritise community safety.

“The recommendation to secure a third party to operate the theatre in the future, is about seeking to ensure the financial sustainability of the theatre by reducing the Council’s subsidy contribution.

“Since January’s Executive, the Harlequin programme team have continued negotiations with the head leaseholder for the Warwick Quadrant. In tandem they have obtained specialist structural engineering advice for both RAAC remediation and removal options, including engaging with academic experts in the topic, and obtained advice from insurers on the potential to obtain public liability insurance if the RAAC is remediated rather than removed.

“Work has also been ongoing to deliver a new arts and culture venue in Unit 5 of The Rise, including seeking market analysis from industry experts on operating models.

“I look forward to reviewing the options available to us with the Executive to enable us to move forward with both reopening our much-loved theatre and launching a new community asset in Unit 5 of The Rise in Redhill. These are both such positive steps for arts and culture in the borough.”

Full recommendations can be viewed in the Committee reports (items 11 and 12).

At the same meeting, the Executive will be asked to reallocate £1.84 million of Community Infrastructure Levy developer funds previously allocated for the modernisation of The Harlequin Theatre prior to the discovery of RAAC. If agreed, the funding would be split between essential works to re-open The Harlequin and towards the creation of a new arts and culture venue in Unit 5 of The Rise.

The Executive will consider O&S Committee’s observations alongside the full reports provided, when it meets on 19 June 2025. We will provide a further update after the meeting.

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Notes to Editors

• Following the discovery of RAAC on 27 September 2023, the Council initiated an immediate closure of The Harlequin Theatre and moved the 2023 pantomime into a big top in Memorial Park.
• In January 2025, the Executive agreed to allocate up to £10 million for The Harlequin Theatre and cultural offering in the borough, and to receive a further report on The Harlequin at this June Executive meeting.
• Full details of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee agenda on 12 June with reports (items 11 and 12) can be viewed here.
• The role of the O&S Committee is to review Council policies and services. It operates as a ‘critical friend’ to the Executive and Council, holding decisions to account. For more information about O&S, see our website.
• Full details of the Executive agenda on 19 June with reports including CIL funding also, will be able to be viewed here (from Wednesday 11 June).
• A planning application for change of use of Unit 5 of The Rise from class E retail use to sui generis flexible performance space with related facilities is being considered by the Planning Committee. Initial discussions took place on 4 June (item 9) with further discussions expected at the next meeting of the Planning Committee on 25 June.
• For background and previous updates on The Harlequin Theatre: reigate-banstead.gov.uk/harlequin.