Top Pleasance Shows To See At The Fringe
The highly respected, internationally famous theatre venue Pleasance has been at the heart of the Edinburgh Fringe since 1985. A festival staple, they boast the largest programme from any venue at the Fringe.
Pleasance are also proud to be behind charitable funds making sure the next generation of talented voices are heard and ensuring the Fringe continues to provide a platform for a broad spectrum of performers. The Charlie Hartill Special Reserve for theatre and comedy and the Generate Fund offer invaluable support to early career theatre makers and comedians, and to Black, Asian and Global Majority artists respectively.
Here are some of the highlights from this year’s Pleasance programme that have benefitted from such funding:
Rapsody
A raw look at inner-city life in Britain today, this powerful show from Birmingham-based Vision Production Company and Pleasance has been described as ‘electrifying’. It’s the story of three young people who are living in a hostel and battling impossible odds when their lives are disrupted further by the arrival of a more privileged newcomer, with the class system and religious fervour fuelling tensions. Featuring live rap, trap and drill, it sees the group expressing through music the things they can’t bring themselves to say. Suitable for ages 12+.
Pleasance Above – Pleasance Courtyard, 3-29 August, 5.20pm.
Katie Green, The Pleasance Comedy Reserve 2022
Dubbed an ‘engaging and daring performer’ by the American Comedy Institute, Rinkoo Barpaga is a Birmingham-born performer of Indian heritage who also happens to be deaf. Having moved around England a lot, determined to find somewhere to settle, he has encountered racism and discrimination. Directed by Tyrone Huggins and produced in association with Pleasance and Deaf Explorer, Made In IndiaBritain features Barpaga’s unique visual storytelling as it explores identity and belonging. It sees Barpaga delve deep into his past experiences to realise his true self and find somewhere he can truly call home. Suitable for ages 14+.
Pleasance Two – Pleasance Courtyard, 3–29 August, 1.40pm.
Wooden Arrow Productions, El Gordo Theatre and Pleasance present this hard-hitting, one-woman play exposing what it’s like to be working-class in London today. Encouraging you to look beyond the stereotypes, it draws on real lives and scenarios as it tells the stories of people trapped in a cycle of deprivation. These include a father pinning his hopes on his daughter’s future, a pair of dealers attempting to flee the country, a tutor manipulating his way to normality, a florist running from brutality, and a young boy stabbed too close to home. Suitable for ages 12+.
Upstairs – Pleasance Courtyard, 3-29 August, 3.10pm.
Tadiwa Mahlunge, The Pleasance Comedy Reserve 2022
The Pleasance Comedy Reserve 2022
The show that helped launch the careers of Jack Whitehall, Roisin Conaty, Joe Lycett and more, is back for its 16th year at the Fringe with four new, expertly chosen acts. It’s your chance to discover the best new comics before they become household names, with this year’s line-up featuring Abi Clarke, Dee Allum, Katie Green and Tadiwa Mahlunge. Suitable for ages 12+.
Discover the full Pleasance Fringe 2022 programme at pleasance.co.uk/via/search/edinburgh.
<p>This article is sponsored by Pleasance. </p>