“THE BEST OF ALL POSSIBLE WORLDS” THE OBSERVER

• WELCOME •

Since opening its doors with only eight shows in 1985, The Pleasance Theatre Trust better known as simply The Pleasance, has become one of the most famous festival venues in the world. It stands at the very heart of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and now spans 23 venues across 2 sites. In 2014, our 30th anniversary on the Festival Fringe, for each of the 27 days throughout the festival the Pleasance presented 240 shows from 12 different countries. We welcomed 500,000 people and sold over 420,000 tickets. The Pleasance is the first destination for anyone seeking the best shows at the Edinburgh Festival. Our year-round operation with two further theatre spaces and rehearsal room complex in central London enables those at the pinnacle of their careers alongside those just starting out, with the facilities to create and develop brilliant new work.

“My love of the Pleasance is because it’s just got a great vibe.”

TIM MINCHIN

AND...1 in 4 tickets sold on

the Fringe is for a

Pleasance show.

DID YOU KNOW?Edinburgh Festival

Fringe is the world’s

largest arts festival.

• ABOUT US •

As a registered charity in England, Wales and Scotland, The Pleasance Theatre Trust has created a powerful platform from which we can discover, nurture and support the best new talent from around the world. Promoters, industry experts, and festival managers from across the Globe come to the Pleasance looking for productions.

The Pleasance receives no public subsidy and all revenue generated is reinvested back into future festivals and the London development programme. The Pleasance has a spirit of artistic possibility, of youthful enterprise (whatever your age), of good humour and of celebration. The Pleasance embraces new ideas and invention.

“A lot of theatres talk about encouraging new work and new talent but the Pleasance

really does it. They were the only placewhere Robert Webb and my ridiculous

attempts to amuse people were welcomed.”

DAVID MITCHELL“Pleasance continues

to dominate”

1985

• SOME PLEASANCE HIGHLIGHTS •

• The Bodgers : Edinburgh Comedy Award Nominee

1986• Nola Rae MBE & John Mowat

1987• Mark Steel

• Mervyn Stutter

1988• Miles and Millner

• Jo Brand

1989• The Reduced Shakespeare

Company• Arthur Smith & Caroline

Quentin (The Live Bedshow): Edinburgh Comedy Award

Best Comedy Show Nominee• Cambridge Footlights

1990• Theatre de Complicite

• Steve Coogan & Frank Skinner

1991• Paines Plough :

“The lifeblood of the UK’s theatre ecosystem” THE GUARDIAN

• Dillie Keane

1992• Dum Show: Coogan, Herring,

Lee, Marber & Munnery

1993• Al Murray • Harry Hill

• Jenny Éclair

1994• Graham Norton

• Sean Lock & Bill Bailey

1995• Dylan Moran

• Tim Vine

1996• Armstrong & Miller :

Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Comedy Show Nominee

• The League of Gentlemen : Winner of the Edinburgh

Comedy Award Best Show

1997• Alistair McGowan • Mitchell & Webb

• Hoipolloi

1998• David Baddiel • Jason Byrne• Paul Merton

• Peter Kay• English Shakespeare Company 1999

• The Mighty Boosh• Omid Djalili

• Rich Hall• The Steven Berkoff Company

2000• Brendon Burns• Andy Parsons

• Mackenzie Crook • Puppetry of the Penis

2001• Dead Ringers

• Adam Hills • Ross Noble

• Dara Ó Briain• Joan Rivers

• Kneehigh Theatre

2002

2003• John Bishop

• Michael McIntyre• Jimmy Carr

• Reginald D Hunter

2004• Russell Howard

• Tim Key

2005• Jason Manford

• Rhod Gilbert : Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Newcomer Nominee

• We Are Klang

• Miranda Hart • Alan Carr

2006• Russell Kane

• Simon Amstell

2007• Les Enfants Terribles (The Terrible Infants) :

“Captivating” THE STAGE• NIE :

“The exceptional ensemble combines exquisite, highly

physical acting and wonderfully integrated live music...”THE DAILY TELEGRAPH

2008• Tim Minchin

• Stefan Golaszewski Speaks About The Girl He Once Loved :

Fringe First Winner

2009• Kevin Bridges :

Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Newcomer Nominee

• Gecko Theatre (The Overcoat)

2010• Bo Burnham

• National Theatre of Scotland (Beautiful Burnout) :

“All of the ingredients of a knock-out hit”

HHHH THE INDEPENDENT• Greg Davis

2011• Julian Sands, directed by

John Malkovich (A Celebration of Harold Pinter) :

• Steven Berkoff (Oedipus) : “The bravest, most exciting and moving Greek tragedy in years”

HHHH SUNDAY TIMES

2012

2014

• The Boy With Tape on His Face • The Two Worlds of Charlie F

• Miriam Margolyes

Pleasance celebrates 30 years on the Edinburgh Festival Fringe

2013• BLAM :

HHHHH EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS, THE SCOTSMAN,

THE INDEPENDENT, THE LIST, BRITISH THEATRE GUIDE

• PLEASANCE COURTYARD •

Probably the most famous venue in Edinburgh, for many the Pleasance Courtyard is the very heart of the Fringe and few people leave the city without at least one visit, whether it be for theatre, comedy, children’s shows, or simply to take in the irresistible atmosphere. Surrounding the famous cobbled squares and overlooking the picturesque Arthur’s Seat, the Courtyard houses 17 performance spaces, 6 bars and 3 cafés. Open from 10am until late into the night, it is one of the only venues to offer the true festival day out. On any given day visitors are likely to be brushing shoulders with a mix of journalists, broadcasters, up-and-coming performers and world-famous stars, whilst they consider seeing one of the 200 shows that may take place each day.

DID YOU KNOW?On the busiest day

25,000 people visit the

Courtyard

• PLEASANCE DOME AND BROOKE’S CLUB •

“More exclusive is Brookes

Bar situated in the Pleasance

Dome ... But don’t just

turn up expecting to get in.

Admission is by invitation only

. . . unless you’re a particularly

experienced ligger”

The Pleasance Dome opened in 2000 and since that time it has inspired the arrival and growth of other venues in Bristo Square. This is now the central hub of the entire Festival. The Dome’s 5 performance spaces surround a central atrium and palm court. As evening falls the space is transformed into one of the festival’s busiest nightspots, with live shows, music, food and drink keeping the crowds buzzing until 5am.

The Dome is also home to the infamous Brooke’s Club, the original VIP bar of the festival. Performers, press and industry professionals share the exclusive membership, with the stars of tomorrow doing deals over a beer and game of pool.

• PLEASANCE KIDZONE •

Since its creation in 2009 as part of our 25th anniversary celebrations, the Pleasance Kidzone has grown from strength to strength. The Pleasance remains the only venue in Edinburgh to offer a completely dedicated children’s area. Located in the heart of the Courtyard, awash with balloons, the Kidzone has taken the form of a gigantic teepee, a floating ark, a haven for puppets and even an alien wonderland.

The fantastic programme, suitable for all ages, includes award-winning music workshops, story hours, face–painting, and a dedicated arts, crafts and play area (with plenty of toys!).

“The Pleasance venues lead the way in terms of children and families.”

• PLEASANCE ISLINGTON •

Whilst Edinburgh remains the original home of the Pleasance, our year-round base is in Islington and has rapidly become a vital part of the Fringe in Central London. Initially comprising 2 theatre spaces, the Pleasance Islington has since expanded into an even greater development hub including: production offices, rehearsal rooms, and workshop space. Over the years, the Pleasance has developed a unique model of self-reliance and productivity, building an environment that facilitates the development of raw talent and creativity. It allows artists a place to create ideas and hone their skills, and all of this without regular public subsidy.

The Pleasance Islington has a two performance spaces; the Main House (180 seats) and the Studio Space (60 seats), with a bar and foyer area and attracts over 40,000 visitors each year.

DID YOU KNOW?Tim Minchin wrote

Matilda at the Pleasance in 2009

DID YOU KNOW?Russell Brand and

Simon Amstell shared a stage for 6 months whilst

writing their first stand up shows.

Page title• CHARLIE HARTILL SPECIAL RESERVE •

Established in 2004 in memory of Charlie Hartill, this designated fund created by the Pleasance provides complete financial support to artists and companies wishing to perform at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

11 years on, this fund has directly supported 10 theatre companies including PIT and Invertigo alongside 44 new comedians, including Jack Whitehall, BAFTA winner Daniel Rigby, 2014 comedy award winner John Kearns, Daniel Simonsen and Holly Walsh.

Since it started this fund has provided over £115,000 worth of subsidy for both productions and individual artists.

• YOUNG PLEASANCE •

Right at the very heart of the Trust is our award winning theatre company The Young Pleasance.

“YP” was founded in 1995 dedicated to offering young people up to the age of 21 dynamic, excellent and inclusive theatrical opportunities.It is based at the Pleasance Islington where the company regularly performs, together with an annual production at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Children from the local community and throughout London, participate in and experience theatre-making of the highest professional standards through workshops, projects and large-scale productions.

Young Pleasance annually sponsors a young person from Islington to rehearse and perform in Edinburgh.

“Young Pleasance is extraordinary” BRITISH THEATRE GUIDE

Page title• PLEASANCE CONNECT •

Distributed throughout our venues and online

The Pleasance Times is our very own daily festival newspaper and includes features, photographs, stories, awards and gossip from the centre of the festival. In 2014 20,000 copies were given away and 12,000 editions were viewed online.

Curated by two of the country’s up and coming film makers, Pleasance TV is an online channel that gives viewers an insider’s look at the Pleasance line-up.

It features an array of of short films and interviews taken throughout the festival.

The 2014 season included:● 20 Unique Short Films (including a British Comedy Award nominated Short)● Over 55,000 Views● Interviews● Featurettes

● Bespoke Performances● Event Coverage● Behind the Scenes

“The Pleasance is at the

very heart of the greatest

show on earth”

Each year for the past six years the Pleasance has commissioned a rising star of the photographic world and allowed them full access to the entire Pleasance playground and all those that occupy it.

The Pleasance picture show captures the creative energy that seeps out of the walls, shining a spotlight on the stars of the festival. These images are displayed online, as part of a formal exhibition in both Edinburgh and London and the best photographs are projected in large format onto the very walls of the buildings.

Previous Picture Show photographers have included Jamie Gramston, Idil Sukan and Jassy Earl

• EDINBURGH PICTURE SHOW •

• PLEASANCE COMEDY PODCAST •

DID YOU KNOW?60% of our the listeners to

our podcast were in the

UK, with 12% from London

and 4% from Edinburgh.

The Pleasance Podcast brings the very best of the festival to listeners around the world. Curated by our acts, the podcast features choice cuts from the festival’s best shows, interviews with special guests and banter from our cobblestone streets. Since launching in 2011 we have recorded more than 100 hours of unique content and received over 300,000 downloads.

2014 IN NUMBERS● 38,000 downloads in August 2014● 380,000 downloads since 2011 ● 333,000 followers on Soundcloud and counting● 21 broadcast standard podcasts produced and published● 87 hours of unique content recorded at the Pleasance 2014, 255 total to date.● Featured in New and Noteworthy in iTunes.

• AWARDS •

DID YOU KNOW?The League of

Gentlemen won the

Perrier Award for their

show at the Pleasance

in 1996

In the last 30 years, the Pleasance has hosted the prestigious Edinburgh Comedy Award (formerly the Perrier Award) 16 times and hosted over 50 Fringe First winning plays.

From our award nominations in 2014, Pleasance’s winners included:

Stage Award ● Awards for Acting Excellence Winner ● Pat Moylan Production ● Beowulf: The Blockbuster

Total Theatre ● Shows by an Emerging Company/Artist Winner ● ● Touretteshero ● Backstage in Biscuit Land

The Musical Theatre Network Awards 2014 ● Bucket Club/Farnham Maltings/Pleasance Theatre/Colchester Arts Centre/Escalator East to Edinburgh ● Lorraine & Alan

Fringe First ● Unbound Productions ● Travesti

NSDF Emerging Artist Award ● Lost Watch ● KATE

Comedy Award Best Newcomer ● Alex Edelman

Page title• MEDIA COVERAGE •

Each year the Pleasance reaches a huge international audience. Outside broadcasts on BBC 1, BBC 2, Channel 4, STV, BBC News, Sky, Al Jazeerah and CNN have all used the Pleasance as a back drop for their broadcasts.

“The centre of the artistic universe.” The Scotsman

“The Pleasance’s credentials are quite beyond reproach, its history of success forms an almost exhaustive list of the best and brightest performers in the UK.” The Times

“A very remarkable company.” BBC

“ The best of all possible worlds.” The Observer

“At the Pleasance all you need to do to get on the TV is stand in a queue. Scarcely a round gets bought without a star being interviewed.” The Glasgow Herald

“The Pleasance is at the very heart of the greatest show on earth.” Edinburgh Festival’s Magazine

In 2014, the Pleasance was featured on:

• The Culture Show The One Show• Sky Arts• BBC 3• ITV NEWS• BBC Breakfast News• BBC Radio 1• Channel 4’s T4• STV News• BBC Scotland• CBBC’s Newsround & Blue Peter• BBC Radio 4• Channel 5 News• The Five O’Clock Show• All major UK newspapers

• 2014 STATISTICS

“The Pleasance’s credentials are quite beyond reproach, its

history of success forms an almost exhaustive list of the best and brightest performers in the UK.”

ABOUT THE VENUE AMOUNT

Number of visitors to the Pleasance 500,000

Tickets sales 420,000

Number of productions 247

Number of venues 23

Number of bars/cafes 15

Staff 375

Individual Show Posters w/Pleasance Logo 40,000

Individual Show Flyers w/Pleasance Logo 2m

Pleasance brochure print distribution 300,000

Pleasance brochures distribution in Nat press 65,000

Pleasance Kidzone passport distributed 20,000

Pleasance Times readership 5,000

Pleasance TV - total plays 55,000

Pleasance Podcast downloads (2011-14) 380,000

Pleasance Picture Show page views 1,650

Twitter Followers 21,700

Facebook Fans 4,400

Email newsletter subscribers 30,000

ABOUT EDINBURGH FRINGE

Visitors to Edinburgh 3m

Show attendences 2.2m

Performances 45,464

Fringe Brochures printed 410,000

• THE EDINBURGH FESTIVALS •

“The Pleasance is the centre of the cultural

universe”

The Pleasance is the largest of all of the venues registered on the Festival Fringe. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the largest arts festival on the planet and attracts visitors from across the globe. The Fringe is one of six other festivals that occupy the city in August. Collectively the festivals attract approximately £250 million worth of revenue for the city of Edinburgh each year.

The Festival Fringe provides one of the largest showcases and export markets for the best new theatrical work in this country.

Edinburgh now welcomes 2.5 million visitors to its festivals each summer.

Record audiences last year made the Fringe a 2 million ticket success, smashing all other UK arts festivals.

Edinburgh hosted 31,320 performances across 247 venues.

In 2014, Pleasance presented work from 15 different countries.

The Pleasance welcomed almost 500,000 visitors, selling 20% of all festival fringe tickets.

“There is no other festival in the world that has this level ofexcitement, energy and intensity.”

ALAN CUMMING (ACTOR, WRITER AND FILM PRODUCER)

• THANKS FOR READING •

We hope this document has given you a useful insight into what the Pleasance is all about and what you might expect this August. We would be delighted to discuss partnership opportunities with you in more detail and to produce a bespoke presentation of our ideas in due course. We look forward to hearing from you.

DirectorAnthony Aldersonanthony@pleasance.co.uk General ManagerHamish Morrowhamish@pleasance.co.ukTel: 0207 619 6868

Pleasance Theatre Trust is a registered charity in England, Wales and Scotland. Charity Numbers 1050944 and SC043237.

“The best of all possible worlds”