AN association dedicated to restoring a first- class working theatre to Farnham will be supported by actors James Bolam and Susan Jameson at its formal launch. The launch of the Farnham Theatre Association in a week's time comes at the same time as the New Farnham Repertory Company has announced a change of tack and a change of name, becoming the New Farnham Repertory Actors' Company (NFRAC). NFRAC does not have the same campaigning aim of seeing the Redgrave Theatre reopened as its predecessor. But if the Redgrave can be restored by the Farnham Theatre Association, NFRAC would be happy to be invited in to perform there, the company told The Herald. The theatre association will be launching its appeal for membership and donations at a gathering of invited guests in the Farnham Town Council chamber on Saturday, March 4. The Farnham Town Mayor and Mayoress, Michael and Joan Clark, will be present. So too will James Bolam, who performed in Macbeth at the Redgrave, and Susan Jameson. The couple are long-term supporters of the campaign to save the Redgrave, and gave their backing at a campaign seminar in 2004. The theatre association's aim is to provide a working theatre, with a superb auditorium for performance, education, business and community use. Its chairman, Anne Cooper, said that in theory this could be a new theatre, if a developer wanted to come up with the site and the money to build one. In practice, however, the intention is to rescue the Redgrave from being demolished as part of the East Street redevelopment. "Restored, refurbished and with an improved exterior, the buildings would provide an attractive centre in the East Street redevelopment area," the association stated. "FTA intend that the theatre programming should include entertainment for all age ranges and tastes and that this would be supported by educational, community and business use. "The expanding population of Farnham, together with its visitors and tourists, deserve a purpose-built auditorium with super sight lines and acoustics and all the modern facilities that a contemporary theatre can provide." Mrs Cooper, the prime mover in the campaign to persuade English Heritage that the building should be listed, explained: "Obviously we are looking at the Redgrave Theatre. It is there and it would be excellent for our purposes. It is the obvious choice." The plan for the theatre is for financial independence without local authority funding and to run programmes which will not detract from or conflict with Farnham Maltings. The FTA's first task is to demonstrate public support for the project, together with a viable business plan for the theatre which would not rely upon Waverley Borough Council for ongoing funding. "The more people who become involved, the louder is the message and the more influential we can be," states a leaflet being distributed by FTA. "The early stages of this exciting opportunity require keen, active and committed people. . . and money. We need help and supporters to raise awareness, recruit new members, distribute information and influence key decision makers." Already FTA can claim the support locally of the Farnham Society, the Farnham Building Preservation Trust and NFRAC. Guildford printers Crown Litho have printed the publicity leaflets free of charge. Nationally, supporters include the British Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union, the Save London's Theatres campaign, Equity and the Theatres Trust. Meanwhile, the newly renamed NFRAC is planning a season running from August 2 to September 9 with two plays to be performed in a marquee in Brightwells Gardens and a third, which will subsequently go on tour, in a smaller indoor venue. "The old company has shed its skin and we have reinvented ourselves," said Brenda Longman, the company's chairman. "When it started it was a campaigning company wanting to reopen the Redgrave. If it is saved, we are hoping that the Farnham Theatre Association will invite us as a company to perform there. "But we understand that it will never again open as a 52-week a year repertory theatre, because it isn't financially viable as such." Actresses Hannah Gordon and Tamara Ustinov have offered their services as patrons of the company, which has a core of seven members. Brenda Longman is joined by Simon Cole, David Gooderson, David Roylance, Maurice Thorogood, Ben Warwick and William Whymper - seven of the stars of NFRC's history - and they will recruit additional cast members for the 2006 season. The company sadly said goodbye last autumn to retiring founder member Ian Mullins, director of many of their past successes. But founding directors David Wylde and Hannah Williams remain as mentors as the new team takes off. The company, which has attracted a 5,000- strong database of attenders, retains its loyal supporters' committee and hopes to add still more supporters and, above all, audiences, this year.