Letter: If The Electric Closes Am Dram Groups Will Be Homeless

Published on: 12 Nov, 2015
Updated on: 12 Nov, 2015

From Amy Yorston

Director of Lilies on the Land for Merrow Dramatic Society

I would like to thank Pauline Surrey for her kind words in her letter: It Would Be Tragic If The Electric Theatre Closed. I’m so glad she enjoyed our play.

We had a fantastic week at The Electric and it was a joy to see it buzzing with regular supporters and also a huge cross-section of the general public.

Through The Dragon we appealed for local stories and were able to create a foyer display showing local Land Girls. This added another dimension to our show as did our matinee deal which included tea and a scone in the ticket price.

The matinee sold out and brought many people into the town who would not want to brave it of an evening. The display also sparked many discussions, stirring up memories for older people and educating younger ones.

We are a community group and being able to provide these extra touches for our audiences meant a lot to us. The feedback has been amazing and highlights exactly why The Electric was created – to bring the community together.

As you might have seen in The Surrey Advertiser, GBC have terminated their agreement with Guildford Amateur Theatre Association (GATA) so the question of where the groups will go is a very serious one.

If the theatre closes many of the groups will be effectively homeless and even if GBC keep the venue the new hire prices they have quoted are far too high to be sustainable for non-profit making societies.

As Ms Surrey rightly states though, it is not just about GATA; The Electric is home to film, jazz and family events to name a few. The town would indeed be much poorer without this rich tapestry of community events and would be a much colder, commercial place to live.

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