FAQ
Many questions have arisen around the National Repertory Network since it was first proposed. This page will be updated with a summary of responses to the questions most commonly encountered in the exploration of the idea.
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The National Repertory Network is evolving rapidly, and the only certainty is change. As new information and ideas are received, the model transforms in response to what best serves the vision and values. Consequently, the responses here will be periodically updated.
QUESTIONS
How did this all start?
What is the National Repertory Network?
12 networked repertory companies, one per Office for National Statistics Region, each homed in a regional theatre, developing and producing three shows a year. Each will tour their shows to the other hubs in the Network, creating 36 new shows a year touring nationwide.
While all shows will be produced within their hub venue, the tours can then be situated within the hub, or in other partner venues throughout the region, maximising reach and opportunity for the whole region. We are currently exploring multiple data sources and models for distribution of both hubs and tours, including the ACE National Portfolio's funding data, the Sutton Opportunity Index, and more.
Rob Myles, the originator of the concept, first developed the idea in his PhD, which explored the role theatre could play in the cultivation of citizenship across education, training and productions. From this, he developed a 6-minute pitch, which went on to win the Future of Theatre Conference Big Idea Award in 2025.
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How does the system work?
Each hub will have its own artistic director who will respond to the needs of the region and ensure complementary programming with the hub venue.
They will be tasked with programming one classic or classical play, one new writing piece, and one responsive piece per year. The responsive piece may respond to their unique specialisms (such as musicals, or children's theatre) to emergent societal discourses, or to new forms of theatremaking.
These regional hubs will have a streamlined board, and all twelve hubs will be overseen by a national board, which will facilitate marketing, governance and logistics, leveraging scale, collective bargaining, and centralisation to benefit from efficiencies. The national board will ensure programming across the network is complementary, with its role to facilitate, not dictate, a consensus of programming nationwide. We will explore the precise mechanisms for this through the forthcoming R&D.​
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The current thinking is that four costume and prop departments will serve three hubs each, with further specialists, such as wigs or blood, serving the whole network, depending on demand.
How would it benefit audiences?
The network will flood the market, providing more choice, while facilitating a region-to-region national conversation. Priced right, the more there is to see, the more likely something is to appeal to a broader range of people over the seasons.
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This will in turn help build the habit of regular attendance in audiences on into the future. ​Part of the Network's ambition is to build the relationship between theatre and communities, playing a more active role in society. Each Hub will be equivalent to a local team, present in the community at every level, identifiable and aspirational.
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How would it benefit creatives?
The current system has few opportunities between fringe and commercial/NPO productions for creatives to cut their teeth and establish themselves. This offers a new 'middle league' which can have profound impacts on the trajectory of emerging artists, and create a vital space for development and innovation.
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By offering salaries at the national living wage, we will change the way creatives view their roles, while providing an essential opportunity to build experience at scale while offering financial stability in an ecosystem where this has all but vanished. We create tax-payers in the short-term, and by the end of a three-year term, a creative could be eligible for a mortgage, helping them escape the rent trap. In return, the roles will include wider responsibilities, creating multi-potentialites ready for today's portfolio careers.
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Hubs could offer training and apprenticeship opportunities, from professional preparation to lifelong learning, and partner with local higher education institutions to do so.
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Beyond the core repertory teams, there will still be opportunities for freelancers and specialists to join them and contribute on a show-by-show basis.
How would it benefit the commercial sector?
Expanded Talent Pool and Scouting Opportunities: With 12 regional hubs developing 36 new productions annually, commercial producers gain access to a much wider pool of
emerging talent in all disciplines with experience of touring and creating new work.
Reduced Development Costs: The Network is incubating and developing tour-ready productions. Commercial producers might be able to co-produce new work or license
successful productions. Shows emerging from The Network will have already played in multiple venues within The Network, providing valuable data on audience reception, critical response, and box office potential. This "proof of concept" is invaluable for commercial producers looking to back a show with a higher likelihood of success.
Pre-Built Touring Infrastructure and Audiences: The Network creates a guaranteed touring circuit for other producers work. If a commercial producer has a production which it can sell into The Network - a significant portion of the touring logistics and audience awareness within The Network's reach might already be established, reducing marketing and logistical burdens.
Potential for Longer Runs and International Transfers: If a show proves incredibly successful within The Network, a commercial producer could partner with The Network for
extended commercial runs in larger venues (e.g., West End) or even facilitate international transfers, leveraging the initial success and artistic validation.
Access to New Audiences and Markets: The regional focus means shows might be developed with local sensitivities or appeal, opening up new audience demographics and markets that might be underserved by traditional commercial touring models.
Cultivation of New Audiences and Theatre-Going Habits: By making high-quality, diverse theatre consistently available in regional venues, The Network helps to cultivate new
theatre-goers and reinforce the habit of attending live performances. These audiences, once engaged, are more likely to seek out other theatrical experiences, including commercial productions, both locally and further afield. This expands the overall market for everyone.
Is this a classical repertory company?
The National Repertory Network seeks to reinvent the Rep for the age of sustainable working. Producing just three shows a year, the teams will not be overwhelmed by constant daytime rehearsals and evening performances, which often clash with legal requirements and union best practices. Discussion with former repertory company leadership has informed the current model, which will continue to evolve.
Does this seek to strip ACE funding from the National Theatre and the RSC?
No.
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The provocation in the pitch certainly explored that possibility, and did so in order to draw attention to the disproportionate funding distribution in the UK. This is largely due to the funds awarded to the National Theatre and the RSC £16m and £15m per year respectively. This funding makes up a surprisingly small proportion of each theatre's total annual income (14% and 17% respectively). The 3rd and 4th best-funded theatres get £2.3m per year.
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Importantly, the National Repertory Network's distribution in the pitch included both the RSC and National Theatre as hubs, clearly indicating that they would continue to exist, and could be part of this movement going forward. The pitch acknowledged the admirable work done by each institution, and The National Repertory Network was suggested as a dramatic evolution of the Theatre Nation Partnerships Network, and the RSC's Partner Theatres. This clearly signalled the potential for collaboration between the two institutions in facilitating the Network.
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The pitch also included the refrain "as well as, not instead of" and concluded by offering several alternative means by which to fund the Network.
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After reaching out, representatives from The National Theatre have since stated that it will not be possible to discuss the idea with them, and listed their existing regional outreach work. After an initial conversation with The RSC's PR, they declined the offer to discuss this with potential stakeholders, choosing to focus instead on their existing partnerships.
Consequently, in a shift away from the initial pitch, they will not form part of the Network.
As stated, both institutions do admirable work, as do many regional theatres around the UK, and the Network does not seek to undermine this. Instead, it offers a novel solution to several of theatre's existing challenge areas, hoping to further address these challenges alongside the work already being done.