Sir, – In the Observer of Sunday April 1, Gerry Robinson, chairman of the Arts Council of England announced "Theatre is at a turning point in its history ... recently the Arts Council announced the largest ever increase in funding for theatre of all kinds ... including regional theatres.

"New talent will be helped and a whole new audience will discover the wonders of live performance".

Last week my colleague, Malcolm Rennie, reminded readers that 'Long ago the New Farnham Repertory Company forecast this increase and were ridiculed by Waverley Borough Council and South East Arts'.

A few weeks ago it was announced that the Regional Arts Boards are to be abolished, and South East Arts was condemned as "the worst of them all".

So it must be recalled that this now discredited organization was once the largest source of Redgrave Theatre subsidy and as "it paid the piper it usually called the wrong tune".

It was a very powerful

influence in so many appalling decisions taken both by Waverley and the Redgrave Theatre managements.

In fact South East Arts can now be seen in its true

perspective as the prime instigator in the disastrous changes of policy which brought about the demise of the Redgrave.

I now refer to the headline article in last week's Herald. A respected Conservative councillor, Malcolm Walton, has resigned saying "The Redgrave is one of the reasons I am leaving. I don't think democracy was evident anywhere in relation to the Redgrave.

"I think the whole thing about the Redgrave was a stitch-up between Waverley and South East Arts".

Will the Waverley Borough Council in shame and disgrace demolish a beautiful modern theatre and so deny to a large population of theatre lovers the great benefit of the forthcoming theatre renaissance ?

At a time when theatre is about to enter a period of unprecedented growth, shall it be said to Farnham's eternal ignominy and humiliation that it chose this very time to

actually destroy its theatre?

But there is one light on the horizon. The leader of Waverley council has resigned as well and the New Farnham Repertory Company looks to the new leader, Mr David Harmer, with renewed

optimism and welcomes his encouraging words ... "We have to make sure the new structure for Waverley works in as open and as democratic a way as possible for the benefit of the electorate".

Welcome New Leader.

Welcome New Democracy!!

Ian Mullins

Chairman, New Farnham Repertory Theatre