Pleasance Theatre Trust supports emerging artists at Edinburgh Festival Fringe

The Pleasance Theatre Trust is working with partners in the UK to support “local exceptional artists” to bring work to the Fringe.

The Edinburgh National Partnerships will contribute to the development of the next generation of theatre makers by finding and supporting the best artists and companies in the UK and ensure they can come to Edinburgh. The Pleasance Theatre Trust works with its partner theatres to identify dynamic artists at different stages in their careers.

Lyric Belfast with two shows alongside returning Edinburgh National Partnership venues Bristol Old Vic, Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Sherman Theatre, York Theatre Royal and Theatre Royal Plymouth are joining the partnership in 2023.

Anthony Alderson Director of the Pleasance Theatre Trust said: “Our National Partnerships programme highlights the importance of the amazing regional spaces across this country and how valuable connections between theatres can be. Great work is created nationwide, in every corner of the UK, and the Fringe remains the leading place to spotlight emerging talent. Every year, I think this programme goes from strength to strength and we’re thrilled to now also be supporting work with Lyric Belfast, our first Northern Irish partner.”

This year acts coming to Edinburgh in the Pleasance programme include Bric à Brac Theatre’s Glass Ceiling Beneath the Stairs which explores sexism at NASA in a sleek multimedia style, and Bitter Lemons which gives a nuanced and knotty insight into experiences of abortion. Collective histories spanning multiple generations provide an understanding of the present moment in the state-of-the-nation play Guffy, as well as The Half Moon‘s fiery rollercoaster of emotion. Light is cast on the internal struggles of living with intrusive thoughts in Choo Choo! (Or….Have You Ever Thought About ****** **** *****? (Cos I Have)), while Deal or No Deal meets Doctor Faustus as one soul’s fate is decided by the cosmos in Edmonds. Bringing body image and the LGBTQIA+ experience to the fore, Buff explores the world of online dating & social media jealousy, while Scaredy Fat looks at fat and queer representation in horror films.

A spokesperson for Bric à Brac Theatre said: “We are incredibly excited to bring Glass Ceiling Beneath the Stars to the Edinburgh Fringe. It’s been four years since our last show and this is our most ambitious to date. We’re extremely excited to blend film and theatre and can’t wait to show fringe audiences this story about two amazing women breaking boundaries and taking up space.”

All shows on sale at https://www.pleasance.co.uk/events/type/enp