Notes from The Grey Hill

Join Barry Robertson, founder of The Grey Hill, for a walking update recorded live at Mount Stuart on the Isle of Bute. In this episode, Barry covers: The brand new Grey Hill website overhaul and introduction of gift cards Upcoming digital author events launching November/December New Ebooks from Ayrshire in partnership with Carn Publishing Why the current audio drama income model isn't workin...

In this episode, recorded on a walk through Eglinton Country Park, founder Barry Robertson shares the real story behind The Grey Hill — from his years working in Scottish theatre, to the 40 pence royalty statement that changed everything, to building the store, app and audio theatre model from scratch. Barry talks candidly about: Why he left theatre and what led him to audio drama The royalty real...

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 th...

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...

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...

Your work is good enough. People want to experience it. So why aren't they there? Not every empty seat is a marketing problem. Some of your audience can't get to you — not because they don't care, but because live theatre at 7:30pm on a Tuesday simply doesn't fit their life. Rural communities too far to justify the journey. Disabled audiences navigating public transport that wasn&#...

Here's your complete Episode 3 description with accurate timestamps: Notes from The Grey Hill with Barry Robertson Episode 3: Fair Pay & Future-Proof Contracts – What Audio Theatre Agreements Must Include The biggest barrier stopping UK theatres from going digital isn't technical capacity or audience interest. It's confidence. Confidence that they won't exploit creatives. Confi...

Notes from The Grey Hill with Barry Robertson Episode 2: Audio Theatre and New Writing – A Development Pathway New writing has never been more vital to UK theatre — and never been harder to programme. Tight budgets, risk-averse boards, and rising production costs mean artistic development teams are forced to choose between dozens of brilliant scripts, knowing they can only afford to stage a handfu...

Notes from The Grey Hill with Barry Robertson In this first episode, we explore why audio theatre is emerging as one of the most accessible and sustainable innovations for UK venues. UK theatres are facing one of the most challenging periods in recent history — shrinking budgets, rising costs, staff burnout, and fewer opportunities to take artistic risks. Yet, at the same time, audiences haven’t d...