Photo credit:  Reigate and Banstead Borough Council

Up to £10,000,000 has been earmarked for work to bring the Harlequin Theatre in Redhill back into use. 

The funding was one of several recommendations agreed at Reigate and Banstead Council’s Executive meeting last Thursday.  The Harlequin has been closed since September 2023 when the presence of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) was first discovered in the building.

Works to the theatre could take up to five years to resolve so the Council has been looking at alternative venues for arts and cultural provision in the borough while the Harlequin is inaccessible. A costed feasibility report will look at the provision of a 200 seater Redhill performance venue for use for the next three to five years. 

A temporary grant scheme will be set up to help displaced users with extra costs of using other venues during the prolonged closure of the Harlequin.