The Stage

Redgraves attack plans to demolish Farnham theatre

Published Tuesday 9 January 2007 at 14:20 by Nuala Calvi

Acting dynasty the Redgrave family has spoken out against plans to demolish Farnham’s former Redgrave Theatre, to make way for a development that includes an eight-screen cinema, restaurants, flats and shops.

More than 9,000 people have sent letters of opposition to the local council, with many complaining the new leisure complex will ruin the character of the Georgian market town.

Jemma Redgrave, who opened the theatre at the age of six, told The Stage: “It’s a tragedy when this kind of cultural resource is taken away. I know the theatre has not been open for some time but there will be no chance of resurrecting it at all if this happens.

“I think it’s horribly sad when something as wonderful as the Redgrave theatre is not only shut down but destroyed, especially when the people of Farnham paid for it themselves in the first place. There’s a huge swell of anger and frustration over this.”

She said her father Corin Redgrave had hoped to resurrect the theatre as an actor-manager before recently falling ill. He is said to be “very upset” that developers Crest Nicholson intend to scrap the venue named after his father Michael, in the face of major public opposition to the scheme.

Other theatrical luminaries who have thrown their weight behind the campaign to save the venue include Judi Dench, Alistair McGowan, Gemma Jones, Geraldine James and Abigail McKern.

McKern said: “The developers have been saying it’s just a few theatre people who want to save it but that’s rubbish - there have been over 9,000 letters and people are absolutely furious about having the theatre taken away from them. It’s not democratic, they are not listening to what people are saying.”

However, Waverley Borough Council’s director of planning and development Stephen Thwaites said: “We have received a large number of letters of objection and they will form part of the report to our councillors and they will have to take them into account.

“The applicant has said if anyone has the financial support to make [the theatre] work they’d be very happy to talk to them but the position so far is no one has brought forward a package that would work financially. Certainly the council has been involved in financially supporting the theatre in the past but, after a couple of failed attempts to relaunch it, the council withdrew its support.”