Artists
There are many ways to get involved at the Pleasance, from performing with us to developing new work or yourself as an artist. Find out more about how we programme and the opportunities on offer in the sections below. You can also find answers to commonly asked questions on the FAQ page of our website by clicking here.
Perform With Us
The Pleasance operates as one of many venues at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival annually in August as well as year-round our London theatre. While artistically linked, each venue operates and is programmed differently. You can find more information about performing with us at each of our locations below.
London
From January to May our smaller studio hosts our Work In Progress Comedy Season which platforms newcomers and established comedians as they try out new material. From January to June in our larger Main House we have our Spring & Summer Season featuring longer runs of new theatre shows and peppered with delights from the worlds of comedy, drag and cabaret. As we approach the Edinburgh Fringe we have our Preview Comedy Season, a chance to catch a first glimpse of comedy shows heading up to the Festival. After the Edinburgh Fringe we welcome back some of the best theatre and comedy shows as part of Best Of Edinburgh Season and as we head into November we welcome a variety of festive offerings as part of our Christmas Season.
To be considered for one of these seasons, please get in touch at the emails below depending on the type of show:
- [email protected] for theatre, cabaret and children's shows
- [email protected] for comedy shows
Our spaces are available for rehearsal hire throughout the year. For more information please visit our London Spaces page by clicking here.
All of our spaces in our London venue, including the bar & foyer area, are available to hire for a wide range of events. For more information, please visit our London Venue Hire page by clicking here.
You can find information about our spaces and artist accessibility on our London Spaces page.
Edinburgh Fringe
Submissions for the 2025 festival will opening in early December.
We welcome work from anyone with a good idea, passionately believing that the best new and unknown names should stand side-by-side, in the same programme, with the most established acts performing today. The draw of a big name in one year has so often heralded the discovery of the next. As a not-for-profit charity, we believe in sharing risks and in placing a value on the arts. We do not rent rooms - instead we carefully curate a rich and varied programme from the great volume of submissions we receive.
Pleasance programmes a wide range of work across comedy, text based and physical theatre, and family and children's work. We also programme circus, dance and cabaret, but careful consideration is needed to ensure we can meet your technical and space requirements. You can find information about our spaces by clicking here.
We prioritise new work coming to the festival for the first time, often but not exclusively as a world or UK premiere. We often programme returning shows who have been successful in our programme previously. On occasion we will consider a show that had a successful run in another venue in a previous year. We rarely programme revivals or amateur productions of established texts.
About Submissions
As we programme on a rolling basis, there is no formal deadline but you are advised to apply as soon as possible, as slots are often provisionally filled early on. We tend to be fully programmed by the Fringe's printed programme deadline in early April.
Please keep in mind that because our final programme depends on the overall artistic and technical balance of the shows in each space, some slots cannot be finalised until March or April. We will do our very best to keep you informed about the status of your applications and make decisions as early as possible, but please be patient. Please contact us if you urgently require a decision or if you no longer wish to be considered.
Frequently Asked Questions
A guide to some of the most common questions about bringing a show to the Pleasance in Edinburgh and the programming process can be found by clicking here.
We will open submissions for the 2025 festival in December - the information contained on this page is for reference only and will be updated ahead of programming commencing.
You can find information about our spaces and artist accessibility on our Edinburgh Fringe Spaces page by clicking here.
Pleasance Futures | Artist Development
Pleasance Futures is the artist development strand of the Pleasance Theatre Trust, acting as an incubator for bold new theatre makers, inspiring the next generation through our youth participation and school development initiatives.
London
Every year we take on a new cohort of Associate Artists, offering them bespoke, practical support. Find out more by clicking here.
Our regular scratch night, offering artists and companies rehearsal space and the opportunity to try out sections new work in front of an audience. Find out more by clicking here.
A three week festival of work-in-progress theatre shows curated by our associates around themes specific to them and the work they make. Find out more by clicking here.
Edinburgh Fringe
The Charlie Hartill Fund each year supports the journey of four comics, one ensemble show and two shows by UK-based Black, Asian and Global Majority artists to the Edinburgh Fringe. Find out more by clicking here.
The Edinburgh National Partnerships programme provides pathways for artists and companies from outside of London to the Edinburgh Fringe by partnering with leading producing houses from across the UK. Find out more by clicking here.
Our young company comprised of 16-21 year olds on-stage and off-stage takes a show of a professional quality to the Fringe annually. Find out more by clicking here.
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