Electric Theatre

The Electric Theatre stands in Guildford, Surrey, on the site of a former electricity works that once powered the town centre. The brick building lay empty from 1968 until local leaders saw its potential. In 1997 the converted space reopened as a theatre dedicated to music and performance. It quickly became known for nurturing both community talent and visiting stars. The converted works still show traces of its industrial past inside the foyer.

The theatre matters because it hosts major events such as the annual Guildford Book Festival and the International Music Festival. In 2008 it staged a Family Festival with the Prince’s Foundation for Children and the Arts. The Academy of Contemporary Music took over in 2017 on a 20-year lease. Under the “Electric Voices” brand it presents folk and acoustic concerts. Acts like Dick Gaughan, the Copper Family and Coope Boyes and Simpson have performed there.

Visitors find a flexible auditorium that programmes concerts, theatre shows and film screenings. The foyer displays old switchgear and pipes from the power station days. Community groups rehearse in upstairs rooms during the week. The stage hosts everything from youth theatre productions to international music acts. Outside, the riverside walk passes the theatre’s entrance on the way to the town centre.