What is a 'Receiving House'?
A receiving house (sometimes referred to as a "roadhouse" in North America) is a theatre or event venue that primarily hosts touring productions, concerts, and external events rather than creating its own shows. This stands in contrast to a "producing house", which casts, rehearses, and stages its own original theatrical productions in-house.
When a show arrives at a receiving house, the touring company or external promoter typically brings their own performers, set designs, costumes, and often their own stage managers and technicians. The venue's main role is to provide the physical facility, box office services, front-of-house (FOH) staff, and foundational technical infrastructure to support the incoming production.
Key Characteristics of a Receiving House
External Productions: The event schedule consists entirely or predominantly of touring shows, one-night music gigs, comedy acts, or private hires.
Fast Turnarounds: Venues must manage fast-paced scheduling with frequent get-ins, load-outs, and changeovers—often on a daily or weekly basis.
Local Crew Support: The venue typically supplies a local technical crew to assist the touring staff with unloading, rigging, and operating the show.
Financial Models: Revenue is usually generated through financial agreements like flat venue hire fees paid by the promoter, or through a box office ticket split (e.g., an 80/20 split in favour of the touring production).
Overall, operating a receiving house requires meticulous organisational skills, constant advancing, and seamless communication with a constantly rotating roster of external tour managers, promoters, and artists.