Pleasance Edinburgh opened as part of the 1985 Festival Fringe with two theatres facing onto a deserted courtyard-come-car-park at an unfashionable eastern end of Edinburgh's old town. Twenty-five seasons later the Pleasance has become one of the biggest and most highly respected venues at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, with an international profile and a network of alumni that reads like a Who's Who of contemporary comedy, drama and entertainment.

In 2009, the Pleasance celebrated its 25th season at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. With 25 theatre spaces ranging in size from 20-740 across two locations - the Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33) and the Pleasance Dome, (Venue 23)the Pleasance is the largest venue at the Fringe. In excess of 500,000 people came through our doors to watch one of the 225 shows which made up our programme, or simply to take a breather with a drink or a snack at one of our 9 onsite cafes and bars. Given the all-day buzz and legendary atmosphere, it's no wonder that to many the Pleasance is the Fringe!

Each year new and exciting companies and performers are placed side by side with more established acts in the true spirit of the Fringe. The Pleasance is proud to have found an early home for (amongst many many others!) Frantic Assembly, Theatre de L'Ange Fou, Red Shift, La Fura Dels Baus, Derevo, Ennio Marchetto, Trestle Theatre Company, The Cambridge Footlights, NYT, NYMT, NSTC, Kneehigh Theatre Company and Peepolykus in our Theatre programme; Graham Norton, Paul Merton, The League of Gentlemen, Steve Coogan, Paul Whitehouse, Jo Brand, Jenny Eclair, Frank Skinner, Bill Bailey, Harry Hill, David Strassman, Bob Down and The Mighty Boosh (to name but a few) in our Comedy programme; music has been provided by The Flying Pickets, Honkin Hepcats, Antonio Forcione, Four Poofs and a Piano, Tom Robinson and Kate Dimbleby. And extravaganzas such as The Donkey Show, The Bomb-itty of Errors and Hedwig and the Angry Inch have all taken part. Every year throws up new surprises.

In 2004 the Pleasance set up the Charlie Hartill Special Reserve - a fund for new theatre - in memory of Charlie Hartill. In 2005 the fund enabled two productions to appear at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and supported Aladdin - A new pantomime at Pleasance Islington.

Pleasance Theatre Trust Ltd [Registered Charity number 2013041].