Major Guildford Music Venue Announces Plan To Save The Electric Theatre

Published on: 8 Nov, 2025
Updated on: 8 Nov, 2025

By David Reading

The Boileroom, Guildford’s award-winning music venue, has come forward with an ambitious plan to take over the running of the Electric Theatre – describing it as “a place that holds deep cultural and community significance in our town.”

The Electric Theatre closed earlier this year, facing extreme financial pressures caused in part by higher energy and employment costs.

The Academy of Contemporary Music (ACM) had been running the theatre since 2017 but revealed that the venue had made a loss “in excess” of £250,000 over the period of a year.

Since then, Guildford Borough Council has been exploring options to secure the theatre’s future – with council leader Julia McShane declaring that “we are absolutely committed to ensuring it continues to thrive.”

Dominique Frazer. Picture: Waverley Borough Council

Now Dominique Frazer, Director of The Boileroom Guildford CIC, has announced that an expression of interest has been submitted to Guildford Borough Council.

Her statement said: “Our vision is to renew and elevate the Electric Theatre’s role in Guildford’s cultural landscape, a venue respected regionally for its excellence in performance and community engagement, yet rooted firmly in local identity. We want the Electric Theatre to once again stand as a dynamic space for new generations of voices, art forms, and audiences, and the generations to come.”

The vision includes:

A year-round programme blending professional touring work with projects led by community, youth and emerging artists.
Flexible facilities for rehearsals, workshops, exhibitions and social use.
A sustainable governance model with diverse income streams, community partnerships and inclusive access initiatives.
Transparent reporting and regular stakeholder engagement, ensuring accountability and responsiveness to local needs.

In early October the Guildford Dragon announced that Nick Wyschna, founder of Wysch Productions, which includes Guildford Fringe, had also formally expressed an interest in taking on the Electric Theatre’s lease.

Dominique Frazer’s statement said: “Our submission reaffirms our long-standing commitment to Guildford’s creative life, inclusive access to the arts, and the sustainable management of community spaces.

“For over 20 years, we have successfully operated The Boileroom. It’s an award-winning, internationally recognised grassroots music and community venue that has supported thousands of emerging artists and provided a vital platform for creative opportunity.

“Alongside this, our sister site New House Art Space has flourished over the past four years as an award-winning, vibrant arts and studio space, home to an active and diverse creative community…We are confident we can bring the same results, energy, and innovation to the Electric Theatre and continue to contribute to Guildford’s thriving creative industry.”

The Boileroom believes its submission is closely aligned with the borough council’s vision for the future of Guildford.

The statement continued: “We believe the Electric Theatre can once again become a cornerstone of Guildford’s cultural ecology, complementing existing venues, empowering local talent, and contributing to a thriving, sustainable town centre.”

In announcing his own interest in early October, Nick Wyschna said he wanted to reinvigorate the theatre “as a vibrant space for professional productions and community-driven performances.” See:

https://guildford-dragon.com/guildford-fringe-founder-steps-in-to-save-the-electric-theatre/