Kluane Saunders [Candid Studios]

THE Pleasance Theatre has celebrated its 30th birthday with a gala at its home in Carpenters Mews while reaffirming its commitment to supporting emerging talent as many venues face financial insecurity.

The independent theatre has played host to numerous now-famous comics and performers since its foundation in 1985: Michael McIntyre, Micky Flanagan, Sean Lock, Katherine Ryan and Alan Davies, to name a few. The playhouse on North Road is also where Tim Minchin developed Matilda the musical.

Yesterday’s gala aimed to hit a £30,000 fundraising target to invest in the future of the building and “ensure it continues to provide a vital home for new work”.

Emerging performance artists face many barriers in their journeys, often due to a lack of funding.

Pleasance Futures, the theatre’s artist development programme, supports emerging talent through various initiatives, including the Charlie Hartill Fund.

The Pleasance Theatre [Jonny Ruff]

This year, Pleasance selected Remember, Remember!, as one of the winners of the scheme’s support. Created by WIT? Theatre Company, it is a comedy musical which “offers a wildly inaccurate retelling of the Gunpowder Plot, complete with hilarious songs, forbidden love and explosive action”. It is currently in the middle of a run at the Pleasance until 21 November.

Company member Kluane Saunders said that as well as awarding £10,000 toward their show’s budget, the Pleasance has acted like an additional company member contributing to the development of Remember, Remember!

“When you’re a young theatre company you’re working around other jobs, you’re coming together in your free time.

“There’s so much legwork that you put in as a young company, there’s such relief when somebody’s like ‘wait, let me take a bit of that burden off your shoulders.

“I think certainly The Pleasance are championing new work, and it was really lovely to see the other Charlie Hartill winners as well – young comedians and then also a young playwright making her own show, which was dealing with much more serious issues than what we are,” she added.

She said having access to the theatre’s marketing, admin and drama professionals helped them bring their work to a wider audience. Without that support, she and her other company members wear several hats aside from their creative responsibilities.

“There’s a reason people don’t do 15 jobs, they’re not a marketing department, and a script writer, and an actor, and a director, and a dramaturg. You need people to help you do those things, really.”