OFFIES 2021

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