The Offie award winners were announced at an online ceremony at the weekend.
Celebrating all that is good about fringe and independent theatre in London, the Offies have more than twenty categories plus Special Awards for live theatre performance.
Moving with the times, the Offies, which started in 2010, now also recognises online theatre work with its OnComm awards as well as work presented as part of a festival (OffFest).
This year saw a new award for theatre work for families (young audiences / those with special needs), the Offiette, and OneOff special awards. Awards in other categories, People’s Vote winners, are chosen by the theatre-going public as the name suggests.
OffWestEnd's Geoffrey Brown said, "though theatre returned in 2021, it has been a challenging year for OffWestEnd theatre venues—and not all have survived. However, we are delighted that this event has celebrated amazing and wonderful achievements—and a lot of very hard work—at over 60 OffWestEnd venues—as well as online theatre and fringe theatre at festivals around the UK. The Offies and our other awards help to recognise and celebrate the creativity, innovation and resilience of all those who have worked so hard to produce and present theatre in 2021."
The Award winners are:
People’s Vote
- Programming Policy: Jack Studio Theatre
- Most Welcoming: Jack Studio Theatre
- Most Comfortable: Drayton Arms
- Online Info and Booking: Drayton Arms
- Programmes: Park Theatre
- Social Media Presence and Activities: Battersea Arts Centre
- Facilities: Above The Stag
- Theatre Bar: Southwark Playhouse
- Foodie Experience: Wilton’s Music Hall
OnComm (online theatre)
- Live Stream: The Black Cat / Threedumb Theatre / The Space
- Recorded (Direct): Touchy / 20 Stories High
- Recorded (Edited):
- Picture of Dorian Gray / Barn Theatre, Lawrence Batley Theatre, New Wolsey, Oxford Playhouse, Theatr Clwyd
- Cruise / Aria Entertainment
- Audio: Redbreast / Chronic Insanity Theatre: Immersive / Interactive: Anthropocene: The Human Era / GymJam Theatre and Oxford Playhouse, TORCH Oxford
- Platform Based:
- Henry V / Guildford Shakespeare Co
- Late Night Staring at High Res Pixels (28 episodes) / Aegis Productions and Finborough
- Series: Lear Alone / And Tomorrow Theatre Co and Elysium Theatre Company
- Innovative: Land Skeins / no more superheroes
OffFest—theatre under the umbrella of theatre festivals
- Brighton Fringe: The Tragedy of Dorian Gray / Blue Devil Productions
- Greater Manchester Fringe:
- Proper Adult / Altrincham Garrick Playhouse
- Toxic / Altrincham Garrick Playhouse
- Camden Fringe: Juliet and Romeo / Giggle Riot Theatre / The Cockpit and Upstairs at the Gatehouse
- Edinburgh Fringe:
- Dark Spirits, Black Humour / InHouse Theatre / Assembly Showcatcher (online)
- 1902 / by Nathan Scott Dunn / Saltire Sky Theatre / Leith Arches (live)
- Voila Europe: Unforgettable Girl / Created A Monster
OneOffs—special awards
- Polka Theatre—in recognition of the opening of their re-developed premises
- Original Theatre Online—for their programme of digital productions
- The Cockpit—celebrating their 50th anniversary
Offiettes
- For Children Aged 0–5: Stick Man / Freckle Productions
- For Children Aged 5–11: Dust / Z-Arts / Half Moon Theatre
- For Young People / Families / Those With Special Needs: Private Peaceful / Barn Theatre / Boxless Theatre
Offies
- Costume Design: Justin Nardella / The Sugar House / A Million Freds Prodns / Finborough
- Lighting design:
- Ben Jacobs / Salome / Southwark Playhouse
- Robbie Butler / Wolves Are Coming For You / Jack Studio Theatre
- Set design: David Shields / The Pleasure Garden / Above The Stag
- Sound Design: Max Pappenheim / Old Bridge / Bush Theatre
- Video Design: Paul Barritt / Roots / 1927 / Wiltons Music Hall
Musicals, Opera and Panto
- Supporting Performance: Beth Burrows / Call Me Madam / Upstairs at the Gatehouse
- Lead Performance (Musicals):
- Lewis Cornay / John and Jen / Southwark Playhouse
- Rachel Tucker / John And Jen / Southwark Playhouse
- Musical Direction: Benjamin Levy / Godspell / Ye Olde Rose and Crowne
- Director (Musicals): Mykal Rand / Five Guys Named Moe / Upstairs at the Gatehouse
- Musical Production: The Pleasure Garden / Above The Stag
- Opera Performance: Mark Stone / Die Walküre / Grimeborn, Arcola / Hackney Empire
- Opera Production: La Nonne Sanglante / Gothic Opera / Hoxton Hall
Panto
- Beowulf / Charles Court Opera / Kings Head
Special Focus
- Company Ensemble: Dj Bazzer’s Year 6 Disco / Chewboy Productions / Golden Goose Theatre
- Performance Ensemble: A Place for We / Talawa Theatre and Park Theatre / Park Theatre
- Choreography / Movement: Robbie O’Reilly / Boys in the Buff / Lambco Productions / Drayton Arms Theatre
IDEA (Innovative / Devised / Experiential / Atypical)
- Performance: Rachel-Leah Hosker, Oseloka Obi and Terry O’Donovan / Skin Hunger / Dante or Die / Stone Nest
- Production: The Language Of Kindness / Shoreditch Town Hall
Plays
- New play: Cordelia O’Neill / Anything is Possible if You Think About It Hard Enough / Southwark Playhouse
- Most promising new playwright: Igor Memic / Old Bridge / Bush Theatre
- Supporting Performance:
- Angie Amra Anderson / Sold / Kuumba Nia Arts / Park Theatre
- Nicholas Day / Yellowfin / Jessie Anand Productions in association with Walrus Theatre / Southwark Playhouse
- Lead Performance:
- Amantha Edmead / Sold / Kuumba Nia Arts / Park Theatre
- Justin Butcher / Scaramouche Jones and the Seven White Masks / Wilton’s Music Hall
- Reece Lyons / Overflow / Bush Theatre
- Performance Piece: Ronke Adékoluejo / Lava / Bush Theatre
- Director: Lucy Betts / Lone Flyer / Jermyn Street Theatre
- Production: Grenfell: Value Engineering / Nick Of Time Productions / Playground Theatre/ Tabernacle
Special Awards
- Artistic Director: Tom Littler, Jermyn Street Theatre
- Producer: Richard Lambert, LambCo Productions
- Special Achievement: Theatre Peckham
- Special Award (extra): Sebastian Chambers / The Wonderful / Theatre Peckham
The Offies cover an area that stretches to very limits of London, whilst the OnComms have no geographical boundary. Eligible shows are assessed on request and judged by a panel. Nominees and further information can be found online for the Offies, OffFest and OnComm Awards.
The Awards Ceremony was broadcast free to watch online on Scenesaver. As well as the award announcements, there were messages of congratulation from politicians, supporters including Dame Siân Phillips DBE, and 2021 award winner who announced this year's finalists.