About Us
The Pleasance Theatre Islington has been one of the most exciting Fringe theatres in London since it opened its doors in 1995, providing a launch pad for some of the most memorable productions and most renowned practitioners of the past eighteen years and staying true to its mission of creating a platform for the talent of the future.
The building that is now the Pleasance Theatre Islington was once the timber store for the London Omnibus Company and several original features (including a huge winch by the entrance!) remain to this day. Home to the internationally renowned Circus Space School before the Pleasance moved in, the theatre was designed by Pleasance founder Christopher Richardson and the conversion was completed in May 1996 with the help of one of London's first Lottery grants and a great deal of private support. In October 2003 the company office was moved and in its place the StageSpace was created - a versatile studio theatre built to aid the development of new work and new ideas.
Since it opened with Young Pleasance's critically acclaimed premiere of Bus! The Musical in the winter of 1995 the Pleasance Islington has produced and housed literally hundreds of companies, productions and performers. Pleasance Islington also houses some of the biggest names in comedy and the likes of Michael Mcintyre, Russell Brand, Micky Flanagan, Mark Watson, Adam Hills and Mark Thomas have regularly complemented our comedy programme.
Over the years the Pleasance has also been used as a location by numerous films and television productions, from Love Soup and Spaced to Peter O'Tooles film Venus ad well as BBC Radio and BBC television as frequest visitors, using the theatre either for recordings or as a location for filming.
In 2004 the Pleasance set up the Charlie Hartill Special Reserve - a fund for new theatre and comedy - in memory of the late Charlie Hartill. Each year the fund helps to bring four budding new comedians as part of The Comedy Reserve, whose alumni include Jack Whitehall and Daniel Rigby, as well support work from young and emerging companies and artists.
The Pleasance Theatre is a wholly owned subsidiary of the
Pleasance Theatre Trust Ltd
England & Wales Registered Charity number: 1050944.
Scotland Registered Charity number: SCO043227
