Charlie Hartill Special Reserve
A fund for new theatre & comedy
How it works...

The Charlie Hartill Special Reserve is a designated fund towards the production costs of bringing selected projects to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, enabling artists to hone their talents by offering financial support in the form of an investment. It was established in 2004 in memory of Charlie Hartill.
The Fund primarily consists of two strands - the Comedy Reserve and Theatre Reserve.
Comedy Reserve
Over the past decade, the Comedy Reserve has supported a great number of comics by providing a unique platform at the Fringe, acting as a launch pad for some of the best acts on the circuit today. After a series of try outs, 4 of the best up and coming comics are chosen to perform in a nightly show at Pleasance Edinburgh without any financial risk.
We offer successful applicants a place on the Reserve and provide accommodation, a paid subsistence and all marketing in Edinburgh.
Applications for the 2018 Comedy Reserve are now closed.
Theatre Reserve
Each year the Special Reserve Fund provides a young theatre company with the rare and extraordinary opportunity to present a groundbreaking performance of a fully produced play at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. This is a fantastic opportunity for a team to be creative, innovative, imaginative and entrepreneurial in a big and exciting way.
We award the recipient a prime slot within the Pleasance at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, mentoring from the Pleasance's team, and in-kind support up to the value of £10,000.
Applications for the the Theatre Reserve are now closed.
For more information about the Theatre Reserve fund please find a link to the information pack here or in the downloads section at the bottom of this page.
About Charlie Hartill
The Fund was established in 2004 in memory of Charlie Hartill, who died in January of that year.
Charlie was a wit, writer, performer, ex-President of The Cambridge Footlights, 8 years a director of the Festival Fringe and the Pleasance's man of the computer. He is very much missed not just for his practical skills and quite extraordinary contributions to the Pleasance, but as the most engaging of human beings. He laughed a lot, constantly entertaining so many of those who met him, and he liked a glass of wine. He was 32.
History
In 2005, Minor Irritations by Sam Peter Jackson and The Comedy Reserve (featuring Simon Brodkin, Lee Bannard, Oliver Maltman and Roisin Conaty) became the first beneficiaries of the Special Reserve and both were presented at the 2005 Festival Fringe. In November 2005 Charlie Hartill's very own Aladdin - The New Pantomime became the first production in London to receive an investment from the Special Reserve Fund. Since then we have taken one piece of theatre and four comedy acts to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe every year.
Comedy Reserve Recipients:
2017- Catherine Bohart, Danny Clives, Sophie Duker & Nigel Ng
2016 - Alasdair Beckett-King, Jack Carroll, Kae Kurd, Tom Lucy, Darren Harriott, George Lewis, Yuriko Kotani & Michael Stranney
2015 - Malcolm Head, Tom Little, Jamali Maddix & Joe Sutherland
2014 - Chris Betts, Evelyn Mok, Phil Jerrod & Brennan Reece
2013 - Jack Barry, John Hastings , Tez Ilyas & Tom Toal
2012 - Suzy Bennett, John Kearns, Matt Rees & Chris Turner
2011 - Luke Benson, Jim Campbell, Julian Dean & Joe Lycett
2010 - Tom Goodliffe, Rhys James, Mark Restuccia & Daniel Simonsen
2009 - Doc Brown, Pat Burtscher, Jared Hardy & Chris Stokes
2008 - Daniel Rigby, Gareth Richards, Lou Sanders & Holly Walsh
2007 - Benny Boot, Brett Goldstein, Jack Whitehall & Tommi Walamies
2006 - Marlon Davis, Pippa Evans, Michael Fabbri & Stuart Hudson
2005 - Lee Bannard, Simon Brodkin, Roisin Conaty & Oliver Maltman
Theatre Fund Recipients:
2017- Flesh and Bone - Unpolished Theatre
2016 - We Are Ian - In Bed With My Brother
2015 - Molly - Squint
2014 - Lorraine & Alan - Bucket Club
2013 - Outside on the Street - Invertigo
2012 - Don Quoixte! Don Quoixte! - Panta Rei Theatre Collective
2011 - Fit for Purpose - Catherine O'Shea (Writer) / Concorde Theatre Company
2009 - A Stroke of Genius - PIT (David Bryne, Artistic Director of New Diorama Theatre)
2007 - Greedy Scratchers - Richard Marsh
2006 - The Same ... But Different - Jacob Tindle (Playwright)
2005 - Minor Irritations by Sam Peter Jackson
If you have any queries, feel free to contact us on charliefund@pleasance.co.uk.
Donate
Donations to the fund are gratefully received and help us to continue our support of the best new talent and ideas. If you would like to donate, please email support@pleasance.co.uk.
Downloads
