The Offies
| Abbreviation | The Offies |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2010 |
| Type | Independent Theatre Awards |
| Purpose | Excellence in Off West End Theatre |
Region served |
United Kingdom |
Official language |
English |
Patron |
Kathy Burke (since 2010) |
Founders |
Sofie Mason & Diana Jervis-Read |
Chief Executive |
Geoffrey Brown (since 2017) |
Staff |
2 |
Volunteers |
approximately 60 |
| Website |
offies |
The Off West End Theatre Awards, nicknamed The Offies, were launched in 2010 to recognise and celebrate excellence, innovation and ingenuity of independent Off West End theatres across London. Over 80 theatres participate in the awards, with more than 400 productions being considered annually by a team of 40 assessors, with the winners chosen by a select panel of critics.
History
The Off West End Theatre Awards were launched in 2010 by Sofie Mason and Diana Jervis-Read to commemorate and recognise on and off-stage talent within the theatre industry of around 80 of London's independent Off West End theatres. The first-ever award ceremony for The Offies was held on 27 February 2011 with Simon Callow hosting the event. The aim of the awards is to help raise the profile and status of independent theatres in London by rewarding productions not eligible for the Society of London Theatre-Laurence Olivier Awards. The winners are selected by a panel of theatre critics.
In 2014, Phoebe Waller-Bridge won two Off West End Theatre awards for her one-woman show Fleabag at the Soho Theatre.
In 2017, Geoffrey Brown replaced Sofie and Diana as director.
Ceremony
| Date | Award Ceremony Host | Awards Venue | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Feb 2011 | Simon Callow | Wilton's Music Hall, Shadwell | |
| 5 Feb 2012 | Louise Jameson | Theatre Royal Stratford East | |
| 24 Feb 2013 | Simon Callow | ||
| 2 Mar 2014 | Louise Jameson | Unicorn Theatre, Southwark | |
| 20 Apr 2015 | Louise Jameson | ||
| 28 Feb 2016 | Ian McKellen (via Twitter) | ||
| 26 Feb 2017 | Patrick Stewart (via Twitter) | The May Fair Hotel, Mayfair | |
| 4 Mar 2018 | Amy Lamé | Albany Theatre, Deptford | |
| 31 May 2019 | Geoffrey Brown | ||
| 8 March 2020 | Lyn Gardner, Danielle Tarento, Julie Ward, Winsome Pinnock, Lynette Linton | Grand Hall at the Battersea Arts Centre | |
| 20 February 2022 | Online | Online |
Award categories
Plays
- Performance Piece (Non-binary)
- Female Performance in a Supporting Role in a Play
- Female Performance In a Play
- Male Performance in a Supporting Role in a Play
- Male Performance In a Play
- Most Promising New Playwright
- New Play
- Director
- Production
Musicals & Opera
- Female Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical
- Female Performance in a Musical
- Male Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical
- Male Performance in a Musical
- Musical Director
- Director
- New Musical
- Musical Production
- Opera Production
Design
- Costume Design
- Sound Design
- Set Design
- Lighting Design
- Video Design
Productions for Young People
- Ages 0–7
- Ages 8+
- Ages 13+
Special
- Artistic Director
- Producer
- Special Achievement
Other
- IDEA (Innovative / Devised / Experimental / Atypical)
- Choreography/Movement
- Performance Ensemble
- Company Ensemble
- TBC (shows that don't fit other categories)
Recent finalists and winners
Recent winners and nominations have included:
Performance Piece
- 2019 Arinzé Kene in Misty at the Bush Theatre (winner)
- 2019 Bryony Kimmings in I'm a Phoenix, Bitch at the Battersea Arts Centre (Nom)
Best Female Performance in a Play
- 2015 Linda Bassett in Visitors at the Bush Theatre and Arcola Theatre (winner)
- 2015 Shannon Tarbet in The Edge Of Our Bodies at the Gate Theatre (Nom)
- 2017 Louise Jameson in The Diva Drag at The Hope (Nom)
- 2017 Rona Morison in The Diary of a Teenage Girl at the Southwark Playhouse (Nom)
- 2017 Jenna Russell in Grey Gardens at the Southwark Playhouse (Nom)
- 2018 Mimi Ndiweni in The Convert at the Gate Theatre (winner)
- 2018 Lucy Robinson in Late Company at the Finborough Theatre (Nom)
- 2019 Sarah Niles in Leave Taking at the Bush Theatre (winner)
- 2019 Louise Jameson in Vincent River at the Park Theatre (Nom)
- 2019 Monica Dolan in The B*easts at the Bush Theatre (Nom)
- 2019 Sinéad Cusack in Stitchers at the Jermyn Street Theatre (Nom)
Male Performance in a Play
- 2017 John Ramm in Sheppey at the Orange Tree Theatre (winner)
- 2017 Phil Dunster in Pink Mist at the Bush Theatre (Nom)
- 2017 Paul Keating in Kenny Morgan at the Arcola Theatre (Nom)
- 2018 Ben Aldridge in Run The Beast Down at the Finborough Theatre (winner)
- 2018 Ken Nwosu in An Octoroon at the Orange Tree Theatre (winner)
- 2018 Ian McDiarmid in What Shadows at the Park Theatre (Nom)
- 2019 Harry McEntire in Homos, or Everyone in America at the Finborough Theatre (Nom)
Best Performance in a Play
- 2022 Rachel Tucker in John & Jen at the Southwark Playhouse (Nom)
- 2022 Rosemary Ashe in Call Me Madam at the Upstairs at The Gatehouse (Nom)
Female Performance in a Supporting Role in a Play
- 2018 Jo Martin in Doubt: A Parable at the Southwark Playhouse (winner)
- 2018 Sinead Matthews in Loot at the Park Theatre (Nom)
- 2018 Vivian Oparah in An Octoroon at the Orange Tree Theatre (Nom)
Male Performance in a Supporting Role in a Play
- 2018 Tom Rhys Harries in The Pitchfork Disney at the Shoreditch Town Hall (winner)
- 2018 Danny Hatchard in Eyes Closed, Ears Covered at The Bunker (theatre) (Nom)
- 2019 Wil Johnson in Leave Taking at the Bush Theatre (winner)
- 2019 Malcolm Sinclair in Pressure at the Park Theatre (Nom)
- 2019 Nitin Ganatra in End of the Pier at the Park Theatre (Nom)
Female Performance in a Musical
- 2019 Caroline O’Connor in The Rink at the Southwark Playhouse (winner)
Male Performance in a Musical
- 2020 Keith Ramsay in Preludes at the Southwark Playhouse (winner)
- 2020 Richard Shelton in Sinatra: Raw at Crazy Coqs / Brasserie Zedel (Nom)