Notes from The Grey Hill with Barry Robertson

This is the final episode of Season 1. Over seven episodes, we've explored why audio theatre matters, how to pay artists fairly, who it serves, and where it fits in your business model. But this episode is about the future—not next season or next year, but the future measured in decades. Ten years. Twenty years. Fifty years. Even seventy years after the people who made the work are gone.

The Theatre in the UK 2026 report shows theatres need revenue diversification. 36% of organisations expect deficits this year, rising to 51% among subsidised theatres. Audio theatre provides that diversification—but only if the rights are structured properly from the beginning. The decisions you make today about contracts, royalties, and rights determine what happens in 2050, 2070, and 2096.

Drawing on copyright law, union agreements with escalating royalty structures, and examples from music, film, and publishing, Barry explores:

• The long tail: how audio theatre creates assets that keep earning for decades, unlike ephemeral live productions that disappear when the run ends
• How royalties evolve over time: early returns reward producers who take financial risk; long-tail income rewards artists whose work keeps earning; surplus ticket income can accelerate recoupment so everyone earns more sooner
• Legacy and estate planning: UK/EU copyright lasts 70 years post-death, meaning families continue to receive royalties; why artists need to have conversations now about who manages their rights and how estates can be contacted
• Translation and global reach: secondary licensing allows work created in one language to reach audiences in Gaelic, Welsh, Spanish, French, or any other language across territorial markets
• Community use: how theatre outreach departments can create audio theatre WITH young people and community groups; how amateur dramatic societies and youth theatre companies can make and sell their own recordings locally
• Why audio is more accessible than filmed theatre: lower technical barriers and costs mean more venues can participate—from large subsidised theatres to small community spaces

This isn't about replacing live theatre. It's about extending its value. The work happens on stage first, exactly as it would anyway. But instead of disappearing when the run ends, it keeps working—generating income, building reputations, reaching audiences, and supporting families for seventy years, not seventy nights.

Season 1 Recap: Episode 1 (why audio, why now) → Episode 2 (new writing development) → Episode 3 (fair contracts) → Episode 4 (reaching lost audiences) → Episode 5 (low-risk pilots) → Episode 6 (business models) → Episode 7 (legacy and the long tail). The Theatre in the UK 2026 report shows the problem. Audio theatre is part of the solution.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction
02:55 The Long Tail
05:07 How Royalties Evolve Over Time
09:09 Why This Matters for Venues
10:04 Legacy - Estates and Next of Kin
11:02 Why Legacy Rights Matter
12:11 Contrast with Live Theatre
13:27 Why This Matters Now
14:37 A Practical Note on Estate Planning
16:32 Translation & Global Reach
18:04 Why This Matters
19:48 Long-Tail + Translation = Global Reach Over Decades
20:49 Education, Outreach & Community Use
21:06 Theatre Education & Outreach Programmes
22:02 Amateur Dramatic Societies and Youth Theatre Companies
23:32 Bringing It All Together - Over the Past 7 Episodes
27:37 On the Next Episode

Links:

• ⁠⁠⁠The Grey Hill Website⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠Barry Robertson LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠

Music by ⁠⁠⁠https://www.bensound.com⁠⁠⁠ | License code: 0YZPRSAEYDVUNFSE | Artist: Benjamin Tissot

Where does audio theatre fit in your business model? Whether you're a producing house making your own work or a presenting venue programming touring content, this episode explores how audio theatre creates revenue diversification, extends geographic reach, and builds long-term value—without competing with live ticket sales.

This week, the Theatre in the UK 2026 report landed with stark numbers: 36% of organisations expect deficits this year, rising to 51% among subsidised theatres. Real-terms ticket prices have fallen 8.9% since 2019. Theatres globally face the same structural squeeze: costs rising faster than revenue, ticket prices that can't keep pace, and touring economics under strain. Revenue diversification isn't optional anymore—it's essential.

Drawing on the Theatre in the UK 2026 report, cinema windowing models, and union frameworks that now make audio capture viable, Barry explores:

• How producing houses can extend the value of work they're already making—capturing live productions or commissioning audio-first to test demand before investing in full staging
• The cinema model: theatrical release, rental, purchase, streaming—and how theatre can think the same way about different audiences and revenue windows
• Why audio theatre is a data-driven development pathway for new writing, proving market demand before committing to full production investment
• How presenting venues can work with local companies, negotiate with touring artists, and support community outreach while ensuring fair pay through union contracts
• Script-in-hand performances with audio soundscape as a low-cost alternative to traditional touring—a model that's now possible with new union agreements
• Secondary licensing for translation: how work created in one language can reach global audiences in Gaelic, Welsh, Spanish, or any other language
• Why keeping revenue local matters: theatres as economic anchors generating £1.40 in local activity for every £1 spent, versus global platforms that extract value offshore

This isn't about replacing live theatre. It's about reaching new audiences, generating income from work you've already made, and building assets that keep earning long after the final performance. For theatres under financial pressure, audio theatre provides revenue diversification that supports your mission without competing with your core business.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction
03:32 Producing Houses - If You Make Work
04:56 The Cinema Model
06:55 What This Means for Producing Houses
09:42 Why This Matters for New Writing
12:48 The Infrastructure You Need
13:46 Presenting Houses
15:15 Working Locally
16:57 Touring Artists
18:35 What This Requires
19:40 Both Models - Why This Matters
19:53 Revenue Diversification
21:17 Geographic Reach
22:19 Long-Term Value
23:42 Keeping Money Local
25:45 You're Not Doing This Alone
26:50 On the Next Episode

Podcast links:

• ⁠⁠The Grey Hill Website⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠Barry Robertson LinkedIn⁠⁠

Music by ⁠⁠https://www.bensound.com⁠⁠ | License code: 0YZPRSAEYDVUNFSE | Artist: Benjamin Tissot

You don't need to overhaul your entire organisation to test audio theatre. You don't need a digital team, a five-year strategy, or a complete transformation of how you work. You need one project. One test. One opportunity to learn what works for your venue.

But where do you start? What does a realistic first pilot actually look like? And how do you know if it's succeeding when revenue isn't the only measure that matters?

In this episode, Barry Robertson walks through how to start small, test smart, and build confidence — using the skills, staff, and programming you already have. From comedy nights to literary events to fully staged productions, the entry point depends on what you already do well.

Drawing on examples from venues testing audio theatre across the UK, Barry unpacks:

• What audio theatre actually is — and why it's a genre, not just a recording format
• Five different entry points: comedy, music, literary events, staged productions, and script-in-hand readings
• Why proper artist agreements and union-approved contracts are non-negotiable from day one
• How being early in a forming market is an advantage — not a risk
• What success looks like beyond revenue: geographic spread, audience feedback, staff confidence, and funding evidence
• Why you don't need new hires — your literary, marketing, and box office teams already have the skills
• How digital and live serve different audiences without cannibalising each other
• The infrastructure barrier that's been removed: storefront, hosting, payment processing, and delivery
• Why collaborative capacity matters more than isolated experiments

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This episode is for theatre leaders ready to test — but unsure where to begin, what to measure, or whether their team can actually deliver this without becoming a tech company.

Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction
01:48 – Different Entry Points
05:27 – Setting Realistic Expectations
07:24 – What Success Looks Like
09:47 – Using Existing Staff and Skills
11:53 – How Digital and Live Support Each Other
13:37 – The Infrastructure You Need
14:24 – You're Not Doing This Alone
16:07 – On the Next Episode

Podcast links:

• ⁠The Grey Hill Website⁠
• ⁠Barry Robertson LinkedIn⁠

Music by ⁠https://www.bensound.com⁠ | License code: 0YZPRSAEYDVUNFSE | Artist: Benjamin Tissot