We were delighted to be able to attend this year’s Off West End Awards which were hosted online by Geoffrey Brown, Director of Off West End with a number of special guests in attendance. The awards began with an introduction by Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, welcoming everyone and joining in our hope that theatres can re-open soon. Special guests included Judi Dench, Linda Marlowe, Su Pollard, Michelle Terry, Sharon D Clarke, Samuel West, Sonia Friedman, Brian Blessed, Stephen Fry and Louise Jameson, all sending messages of congratulations and encouragement.
Using the fringe streaming platform Scenesaver ( www.scenesaver.co.uk ), we were treated to a reminder of the diversity of shows that have been available to watch this year, in spite of the challenging environment. Below are listed the finalists and winners of their section.
Offies 2021 Finalists and Winners
OnComm Awardees 2020
Recorded Shows – Pre-lockdown, minimal edits
Going Viral by Daniel Bye
Hysteria – Spymonkey
Jane Clegg – Finborough
The House of Bernarda Alba – Graeae & royal Exchange Theatre
Winner – The House of Bernarda Alba
Recorded Shows – Pre-lockdown, significant edits
Bubble – Theatre Uncut
Cyprus Avenue – Royal Court, Abbey Theatre, The Space Arts
SeaWall – Simon Stephens
The Encounter – Complicite
Winner – The Encounter
Recorded Shows – post-lockdown, minimal edits
About 500 – Simona Hughes
Breathe by Neil Bebber, part of Unfolded 2020 at Bread & Roses Theatre
This Evil Thing – Essential Theatre
Within – Threedumb Theatre
Winner – Breathe
Recorded Shows – post lockdown, significant edits
Birdsong Online – Original Theatre Co & Birdsong Productions (no link available)
Midnight Your Time – Donmar Warehouse
Rose by Martin Sherman, Ginger Quiff Media, Hope Mill Theatre, Julian Stoneman
MPSI Ltd
Wait For Me – Sam Cassidy & Ainsley Ricketts
Winner – Rose
Live Streaming
Before After, A Musical Love Story – The Grey Area Theatre Company (link no longer available)
Cupid’s Corner by Parade Stone
The Boss Of It All – New Perspectives, Soho Theatre & Derby QUAD (Soho On Demand
The Poltergeist – Tramp & Jack Silver & Southwark Playhouse
Winner – The Poltergeist
Audio Production
Contemporary Political Ethics (Or, How To Cheat) – Traverse 3, Audio Only Podcast
Not So Quiet On The Western Front – Front Room Theatre, Reading Online Fringe Festival
Rockets & Blue Lights – Royal Exchange Theatre, BBC Lockdown Theatre Festival
The Barren Author – from Barnaby Eaton-Janes & Spiteful Puppet
Winner – Rockets & Blue Lights
Platform-Based (e.g. using Zoom)
Agent Venture – The Adventure is Real
Alice, A Virtual Theme Park – Creation Theatre & Big Telly Theatre
Beige – MAGNA Final Shows on 4
Richard III – The Show Must Go Online
Winner – Alice, A Virtual Theme Park
Series
15 Heroines: The Desert & The Labyrinth & The War – Jermyn St Theatre
Digital Caravan Theatre: Spirit of Carnival, Enough, September Skies: 3 audio plays – Small Truth Theatre
Press Play Mirrors/Feast/Half Acre/You Give Me Butterflies – Popelei & Emma Blackman
Telling Tales – Muck & Rumble
Winner – 15 Heroines:The Desert &The Labyrinth & The War
Immersive/Interactive
Dream Catcher / Blue Moon Zoom
User Not Found / Dante Or Die /)
Viper Squad / Sid Phoenix & CtrlAltRepeat /
Wind in the Willows / Guildford Shakespeare Company / Jermyn Street Theatre / YvonneArnaud Theatre /
Winner – Viper Squad
Innovative
For Quality Purposes / Stan’s Internet Café /
Snowflake: Visual EP / MPTheatricals /
Truth to Power Café / Jeremy Goldstein & London Artists Projects /
What a Carve Up! / Barn Theatre, Lawrence Batley Theatre & New Wolsey Theatre /
Winner – What a Carve Up!
For Young People 12+
Crime of the Century / Chickenshed /
Guantanamo Boy / for ages 12+ / Half Moon Theatre
I, Cinna (The Poet) / Tim Crouch / Unicorn Theatre /
North Country / Freedom Studios /
Winner – I, Cinna (The Poet)
For Children
Michael Rosen’s Clever Cakes / for ages 3-8 / Little Angel Theatre /
Paper Aeroplane / for ages 3-7 / Half Moon Theatre
The Twits / Unicorn Theatre
There’s a Bear on my Chair / Little Angel Theatre
Winner – The Twits
For Families
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland / Chickenshed /
Dream Catcher / Blue Moon Zoom
Snow White in the Seven Months of Lockdown / Charles Court Opera & King’s Head Theatre /
The Legend of Moby Dick Whittington / Sleeping Trees /
Winner – The Legend of Moby Dick Whittington
OffFest – Theatre Festival Award
Voila Europe! 2020
Diary of an Expat: Reloaded / by Cecilia Gragnani / directed by Katharina Reinthaller / from Paper Smokers
Farewell Concert / from K2Theater / supported by Hungarian Cultural Centre London
The Escape of Iris Dupont / performed by Freya Stang / from Simsalabim Productions
Winner – Farewell Concert
OneOff Special Awards
Winners:
Scenesaver
Wait for Me
DreamCatcher
Traverse 3
The Offies 2021
Design: Set
Casey Jay Andrews / Lockdown Town
Lucy Osborne / Afterplay / Coronet Theatre
Patrick Connellan / The Incident Room / New Diorama with Greenwich Theatre
Winner – Patrick Connellan
Design: Lighting
Jamie Platt / The Last 5 Years / Southwark Playhouse
Malcolm Rippeth / Afterplay / Coronet Theatre
Tom White / Macbeth / Wiltons Music Hall
Winner – Tom White
Design: Sound
Max Pappenheim / Sunnymead Court / Tristan Bates Theatre
Neil Bettles / Petrichor / Theatre Royal Stratford East
Yaiza Varona / The Incident Room / New Diorama with Greenwich Theatre
Winner – Yaiza Varona
Musicals
Musicals: Lead Performance
Carolyn Maitland / Rags / Park Theatre
Frances Barber / Musik / Leicester Square Theatre
Molly Lynch / The Last 5 Years / Southwark Playhouse
Oli Higginson / The Last 5 Years / Southwark Playhouse
Winner – Frances Barber
Musicals: Supporting Performance
Beaux Harris / Blitz! / Union Theatre
Dave Willetts / Rags / Park Theatre
Rachel Izen / Rags / Park Theatre
Winner – Dave Willetts
Musicals: Musical Director
George Dyer / The Last 5 Years / Southwark Playhouse
Joe Bunker / Rags / Park Theatre
Michael Bradley / Pippin / Garden Theatre at the Eagle
Winner – Joe Bunker
Musicals: Director
Bronagh Lagan / Rags / Park Theatre
Jonathan O’Boyle / The Last 5 Years / Southwark Playhouse
Winner – Jonathan O’Boyle
Musicals: Production
Pippin / Garden Theatre at the Eagle / LAMBCO Productions
Rags / Park Theatre / Katy Lipson for Aria Entertainment
The Last 5 Years / Southwark Playhouse / Katy Lipson for Aria Entertainment in association with Edward Prophet and People Entertainment Group
Winner – The Last 5 Years
Musicals/Plays
Ensemble: Performance
Stephanie Booth & Hannah Livingstone / We Were Having A Perfectly Nice Time / Omnibus Theatre
Ryan Anderson, Tsemaye Bob-Egbe, Tanisha-Mae Brown, Joanne Clifton, Harry Francis, Dan Krikler / Pippin / Garden Theatre at the Eagle
Rachel Barnes, Laurie Jamieson, Nigel Taylor, Daniel Ward / The Canary and The Crow / Arcola
Winner – Rachel Barnes
Plays
Plays: Lead Performance
James Demaine / Nuclear War / Buried / Graceland / Old Red Lion
Jessica Rhodes / The Sugar Syndrome / Orange Tree Theatre
Sam Crane / The Rage of Narcissus / Pleasance
Winner – Jessica Rhodes
Plays: Supporting Performance
Ali Barouti / The Sugar Syndrome / Orange Tree Theatre
John Hollingworth / The Sugar Syndrome / Orange Tree Theatre
Leigh Quinn / Scrounger / Finborough
Winner – Leigh Quinn
Plays: Performance Piece
Daniel Ward / The Canary and The Crow / Arcola
Lucy McCormick / Lucy McCormick, Post Popular / Soho Theatre, Johnson & Mackay & United Agents
Miguel Hernando Torres Umba / Stardust / Roundhouse
Winner – Daniel Ward
Plays: New Play
Sam Steiner / You Stupid Darkness! / Southwark Playhouse
Sergio Blanco / The Rage of Narcissus / Pleasance
Athena Stevens / Scrounger / Finborough
Joint Winners – Sergio Blanco and Athena Stevens
Plays: Director
Jim Pope / Can I Help You? / Omnibus Theatre
Lily McLeish / Scrounger / Finborough
Phoebe Barran / Tryst / Chiswick Playhouse
Winner – Phoebe Barran
IDEA (Innovative, Devised, Experiential, Atypical)
IDEA Performance
FK Alexander / (I Could Go on Singing) Over the Rainbow / Southbank Centre
Lucy McCormick / Post Popular / Soho Theatre
When It Breaks It Burns / Battersea Arts Centre
Winner – FK Alexander
IDEA Production
(I Could Go on Singing) Over the Rainbow / Southbank Centre
Sound Cistem / Vault Festival / Plaster Cast Theatre
The Lost Hours / Vault Festival / 8ROJO
Winner – Sound Cistem