There are four main types of Theatrical Venue....
* West End(UK)/Broadway(US)
*Production House
*Presenting House
*Receiving House
From their planning which productions are performed in the building (programming) to their staffing structures and their funding arrangements – there is no set structure for running a theatre.
The large West End Theatres are all receiving houses but there are three main kinds of regional theatres.
1. Receiving Theatres
Receiving theatres are effectively venues for hire. They ‘receive’ productions and events in a relatively passive way and may not have an artistic policy.
Companies pay the theatre a hire fee to use their facilities. The services provided by a receiving theatre vary considerably, and may range from simply providing a space with no other services available to supplying a full range of services including marketing, technical and box office services.
Major UK receiving theatres include......
London’s Lyceum Theatre, Grand Opera House York, The Lighthouse, Poole, Empire Theatre, Liverpool, The Theatre Royal, Newcastle and Bristol Hippodrome
While receiving theatres remain the most common form of theatre outside London – and many fringe theatres in London are effectively receiving theatres – there is a perception in recent years that receiving theatres should seek to operate more as presenting theatres, particularly where they are located in an area without a producing theatre. The argument goes that presenting theatres take more of an artistic leadership role in their communities, which is more likely to ensure their survival.
Commercial managements will frequently own a number of theatre buildings, giving them a better negotiating position with artists and agents.
2. Presenting Theatres
Presenting theatres are often significantly more complex than receiving theatres. They ‘present’ programming in an active way, choosing artistic product that is in line with the theatre’s artistic policies and to appeal to the theatre’s audiences.
They will normally provide a full range of services including marketing, technical, and box office services. They may assist in the ‘manufacturing’ of artistic product through mounting co-productions, developing relationships with artists and companies and seeking to provide artistic leadership or focus.
Good presenting theatres offer a full programme of high-quality professional events, are open four-plus nights a week, have a good bar and restaurant, offer educational opportunities, and attract a
loyal and frequently-attending clientele. They are run by an Artistic Director, who is responsible for the artistic policies of the theatre. In a healthy relationship, a not-for-profit presenting theatre will receive a certain amount of funding from the local authority for running the theatre. Given the proven economic benefits of a theatre’s activites to its community, this ‘arms-length’ funding makes excellent sense for all parties.
The deals they do with companies are often more complex than a straight hire, reflecting their closer relationship with companies.
UK presenting theatres include...The Lighthouse, Poole, The Maltings Theatre, Berwick and The Northcott Theatre, Exeter, The Pavilion, Worthing.
It’s fair to say that the best presenting theatres usually would like to do more producing and have begun to explore co-producing as a way of having more theatre made within their building. They will work with a local theatre company to make a show which opens at their theatre, then may tour to other theatres. This kind of co-production can be very successful if the parameters and contract are clear at the start. It’s certainly an excellent way to get some artists back into the building.
3. Producing Theatres
Producing theatres are the most complex of all theatres, and best fit the public’s idea of how a ‘proper’ theatre works. The first producing houses were founded in the Elizabethan period, the most famous of which was The Globe Theatre, with its resident company The Lord Chamberlain’s Men.
Producing theatres combine a resident theatre company of actors, directors etc with a theatre building. Hence The Royal Shakespeare Company are the resident company at The Royal Shakespeare Theatre. The Bristol Old Vic Theatre Company are the resident company at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre.
Producing theatres ‘manufacture’ artistic product in-house, as well as presenting other companies work.
At the larger end, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre & Company, The Royal National Theatre & Company are huge organisations who employ hundreds of staff across a multitude of departments concerned with the production of theatre eg. set design, costume making, wig making, prop making etc and with the performance of theatre with a full time resident companies of actors.
Sadly, the larger kind of producing theatre is becoming increasingly rare. Thirty years ago almost every major city – and a lot of the lesser centres – in the UK had a producing theatre at their heart providing employment and making theatre.
Sadly, the larger kind of producing theatre is becoming increasingly rare. Thirty years ago almost every major city – and a lot of the lesser centres – in the UK had a producing theatre at their heart providing employment and making theatre.
Here’s a useful list of some of the major UK producing theatres, in no particular order:
The Rep – Birmingham Repertory Theatre
Theatre Royal, Bristol – Bristol Old Vic Theatre Company
Northern Stage
West Yorkshire Playhouse
Stephen Joseph Theatre Scarborough
The Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith
Clywd Theatr Cymru
Globe Theatre
Donmar Warehouse
Citizens Theatre Glasgow
Dundee Rep Theatre
National Theatre
Royal Shakespeare Company
Royal Opera House
Other Useful terms
POP UP THEATRE -
Click here for article in The Stage on Pop up Theatre
SIGHT SPECIFIC THEATRE
Click here for a short comedic film of the genre!
OUTDOOR THEATRE
Click here for the Brighton Open Air Theatre's website.
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