About Us

 

In 1973 Guildford Borough Council, urged on by Bill Bellerby, who was then Chairman of the Arts and Recreation Committee, provided the ex-Territorial Army garage in Leapale Lane for use as an amateur theatre. Twelve months of hard work turned it into a real theatre that seated 150 people, with lighting controls so sophisticated that they were featured in BBC 2's Tomorrow's World. It was called the Annexe Theatre, and was heavily used by many amateur groups. In fact, some of them only sprang into being because the facilities were there. However joy was short lived.

 

The Annexe was in the way of a new road and was demolished less than three years after it had been opened. Again the Council rallied round and offered the old Salvation Army building, which the amateur groups once more turned into a theatre. This one was called the Bellerby in recognition of the unfailing support of Bill Bellerby. It opened in 1978 with a production of John Mortimer's A Voyage Around My Fatherby the Herald Players.

 

But life got difficult again in 1983 when the lease of the Bellerby was taken up by the Guildford School of Acting, and so the theatre became available to amateurs only during school holidays. Competition for the time available was fierce and with no place to act many groups sought performance space outside the town.

 

At this time Guildford Amateur Theatre Association (GATA) was set up as a lobbying group to seek a permanent home for the town's growing number of amateur performing arts groups and enlisted the help of local personalities to raise funds. Comedian and writer Ben Elton, actress Emma Thompson, local actor Jack Mackenzie, Guildford based Michael Buerk and Surrey arts supporters Lady Heald and Sir John Ford were patrons of the appeal. Lobbying, spurred on by the late Len Farley, was successful and Guildford Borough Council converted the town's old electricity works into a community theatre for use by amateur performing groups. The Electric Theatre was officially opened on Saturday 18 January 1997 with a Gala performance of Tom Stoppard's On the Razzle presented by the Herald Players.

 

GATA, a registered charity, is an umbrella organisation for about 20 member organisations that perform at the Electric Theatre including theatre and opera companies, singing and youth groups, dancers and film makers. By the end of 2007 GATA had spent £81,900 on equipment for the Electric Theatre and now works to promote public education in the dramatic arts in and around Guildford.