Pleasance London Marks 30 Years Supporting Emerging Theatre Talent

Pleasance London will mark its 30th anniversary with a fundraising gala on Thursday, November 12. Proceeds from ticket sales will contribute to a £30,000 fundraising target to support building improvements, including accessibility, sustainability and repairs.

Founded by Christopher Richardson, Pleasance London was converted from a former timber store in Carpenters Mews into a theatre in the 1990s, with the conversion completed in 1996. The Islington venue hosts theatre, comedy and artist development programs.

The theatre's artist development program, Pleasance Futures, supports emerging artists through initiatives including the Charlie Hartill Fund, Associate Artists and Companies, Pleasance Scratch, BRIDGES, mentoring, rehearsals and research and development opportunities. In 2026, the venue launched the BRIDGES Festival, a mentoring and creative support program for new writing. The initiative supports four writers from Pleasance Scratch Nights in developing 15-minute excerpts into productions lasting 45 minutes to one hour.

The 2026 Charlie Hartill Fund winner, Remember, Remember!, will run in Pleasance London's Main House from November 4-21, coinciding with the anniversary celebrations. Created by WIT? Theatre Company, the musical comedy retells the Gunpowder Plot and follows a sell-out run at the Edinburgh Festival.

Over the past 30 years, Pleasance London has hosted performers including Michael McIntyre, Micky Flanagan, Sean Lock, Katherine Ryan, Alan Davies, Tim Key, Joe Lycett, Lolly Adefope and Sarah Keyworth, as well as comedy acts The Mighty Boosh, Mitchell and Webb, and The Fast Show.

The venue has also hosted the development and presentation of theatre, film and television projects. Tim Minchin wrote the musical Matilda in a studio at Pleasance, while David Mitchell and Robert Webb performed in Oedipus the Pantomime before creating the television series Peep Show. Directors who have worked at the venue include former National Theatre Artistic Director Rufus Norris, who directed Tennessee Williams' Small Craft Warnings, and former Royal Shakespeare Company Artistic Director Terry Hands, who directed Memory. Eddie Marsan starred in Richard III, directed by Guy Retallack.

An early rehearsed reading of The King's Speech took place at the venue and was attended by Tom Hooper's mother, who later brought the project to his attention. The film Venus, starring Peter O'Toole and Leslie Phillips, also filmed scenes at Pleasance. O'Toole received an Academy Award nomination for his performance. The venue has additionally appeared in television productions including Spaced and Absolutely Fabulous, as well as three seasons of Comedy Central Live.

Anthony Alderson, director of the Pleasance Theatre Trust, said the anniversary fundraising campaign would help fund building improvements and maintain opportunities for emerging artists.