Off West End Announces OFFIES Finalists and Awards Event

The Offies 2018 finalists were announced live on Twitter & Facebook at 1pm today by OffWestEnd Panel Judge & Critic for The Stage Mark Shenton.

In 2017, Offies assessors saw over 190 shows at around 60 venues across London, and put forward over 350 nominations. The Offies Panel have whittled these nominations down to the best three or four across 29 categories. Over 80 finalists have been selected, representing shows at over 30 Off West End venues. A full list of Finalists is at the end of this Press Release.

Off West End exists to celebrate the full spectrum of Off West End theatres and to draw increasing numbers of the general public into the excitement of these little powerhouses. The Off West End Theatre Awards (The Offies) celebrate the best of each year's productions, performances and creatives.

Theatres of all shapes and sizes were among the finalists from The Arcola in the north, snugly reclaiming an old paint factory, to the recently renovated White Bear Theatre inside a pub in the south; from the historically grand yet diverse Theatre Royal Stratford in the east to the established high-flyer, The Finborough, in the west - all had work shortlisted for these uniquely coveted awards, the only awards to reward independent theatres and their extraordinary achievements outside the mainstream.

For the last three years we've produced the world's first all-inclusive, non-exclusive Twitter cyber ceremony, (with cyber hosts/presenters Sir Ian McKellen, Sir Patrick Stewart, and David Morrissey to name a few), reaching more than 6 million people and with 40 million exposures last year.

This year, The Offies are celebrating our 8th year of awards, and we're bringing back the live ceremony! We are thrilled to announce that The Offies 2018 will held on Sunday 4th March at The Albany, Deptford - with the red carpet champagne reception starting at 6pm for a 7pm ceremony.

The Albany is a performing arts centre with a history stretching back to the nineteenth century. The Albany is a new type of arts venue, very much driven by the cultural diversity and the creative mix of South East London. During the last year over 180,000 people visited the Albany, including audiences of over 40,000 for more than 400 events. The Albany has four performance spaces, and their programme encompasses a range of music, theatre and spoken word, as well as an array of participatory projects.

As part of our 8th birthday celebration, over the next 8 weeks we will be exploring on our social media channels the 8 reasons why The Offies & Off West End Theatre continue to thrill and thrive - encouraging followers to tweet in their own reasons and stories with the hashtag #Offies8

Our ceremony on Sunday 4th will see the who's who of London theatre in attendance, including guests presenters Katie Brayben, Robin Soans, Louise Jameson, Linda Marlowe (actors), Isobel Waller Bridge (sound designer), Catherine Kodicek (costume designer) and Stephen Mear (choreographer).

Also in attendance will be some industry experts who have lined up again this year to be 'Patron Saints' to the winners in 18 categories so that the awards mean more the morning after than just a head full of bubbly. These awards really make a difference by offering the winners an introduction to an industry expert who takes them under their wing for a year to offer specialist advice, useful introductions and guidance in their career.

Exclusive tickets are also available to the public to buy for this year's event - there is an Early Bird offer of £30 available to 11 February. The standard price of these tickets is £42. Tickets can be purchased online from www.euclid.info/offies2018.

The Finalist announcement on Twitter closed by announcing The Offies 2018 will be broadcast live on digital television for the first time ever, with our media partners London Live.

Finalists:

Female in a Play
Charlotte Gray / The Revlon Girl / Park Theatre
Katherine Pearce / Low Level Panic / Orange Tree Theatre
Lucy Robinson / Late Company / Finborough Theatre
Mimi Ndiweni / The Convert / Gate Theatre

Male in a Play
Ben Aldridge / Run The Beast Down / Finborough Theatre
Ian McDiarmid / What Shadows / Park Theatre
Ken Nwosu / An Octoroon / Orange Tree Theatre
Patrick Sandford / Groomed / Soho Theatre

Supporting Female in a Play
Jo Martin / Doubt: A Parable / Southwark Playhouse
Molly Hanson / Posh / Pleasance Theatre
Sinead Matthews / Loot / Park Theatre
Vivian Oparah / An Octoroon / Orange Tree Theatre

Supporting Male in a Play
Danny-Boy Hatchard / Eyes Closed, Ears Covered / Bunker
Jonathan Blaydon / Lord Dismiss Us / Above The Stag
Tom Rhys Harries / The Pitchfork Disney / Shoreditch Town Hall
Will Pinchin / Frankenstein / Jack Studio

New Play
Branden Jacobs-Jenkins / An Octoroon / Orange Tree Theatre
David Ireland / The End Of Hope / Soho Theatre
Neil Anthony Docking / The Revlon Girl / Park Theatre /
Roland Schimmelpfenning (translated by David Tushingham) / Winter Solstice / Orange Tree Theatre

Most Promising New Playwright
Alex Gwyther / Eyes Closed, Ears Covered / Bunker
Katie Bonna / All The Things I Lied About / Soho Theatre
Natasha Marshall / Half Breed / Soho Theatre
Stephen Unwin / All Our Children / Jermyn Street Theatre

Director
Audrey Sheffield / The Dark Room / Theatre503
Josette Bushell-Mingo / The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin / Theatre Royal Stratford East
Ned Bennett / An Octoroon / Orange Tree Theatre
Ramin Gray / Winter Solstice / Orange Tree Theatre

Ensemble
Bucket List / Battersea Arts Centre
Home Truths / Bunker
The Gap In The Light / New Diorama

Production
An Octoroon / Orange Tree Theatre
Contractions / New Diorama
The Revlon Girl / Park Theatre
Trouble In Mind / Print Room

Female in a Musical
Daisy Maywood / Promises, Promises / Southwark Playhouse
Sophia Mackay / The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin / Theatre Royal Stratford East
T'Shan Williams / The Life / Southwark Playhouse

Supporting Female in a Musical
Alex Young / Promises, Promises / Southwark Playhouse
Sarah-Louise Young / Yank! / Charing Cross Theatre
Sharon D. Clarke / The Life / Southwark Playhouse

Male in a Musical
Gabriel Vick / Promises, Promises / Southwark Playhouse
Joshua Lay / Top Hat / Upstairs at the Gatehouse
Michael Rouse / Superhero / Southwark Playhouse
Peter Polycarpou / Working / Southwark Playhouse

Supporting Male in a Musical
Cornell S. Joh / The Life / Southwark Playhouse
Greg Castiglioni / The Woman in White / Charing Cross Theatre
Jordan Shaw / Tick, Tick... Boom! / Park Theatre

Musical Director
Dean Austin / Death Takes A Holiday / Charing Cross Theatre
Gareth Bretherton / Hair / Vaults
Simon Holt / The Woman in White / Charing Cross Theatre

Musical Production
Hair / Vaults
The Life / Southwark Playhouse
Working / Southwark Playhouse

New Musical
Death Takes A Holiday / Charing Cross Theatre
My Land's Shore / Ye Olde Rose & Crown Theatre
Superhero / Southwark Playhouse
The Life / Southwark Playhouse

Opera Production
Cosi Fan Tutte / Baseless Fabric Theatre / Morden Civic Centre
L'Incoronazione Di Poppea / Hampstead Garden Opera / Jackson's Lane
Tosca / King's Head Theatre

Choreographer
Charlotte Tooth / The Hired Man / Union Theatre
Chris Whittaker / Top Hat / Upstairs at the Gatehouse
Joanne McShane / Salad Days / Union Theatre
William Whelton / Hair / Vaults

Costume Design
Adrin Erra Puente / White Fang / Park Theatre
Jonathan Lipman / Death Takes A Holiday / Charing Cross Theatre
Mike Lees / The Tailor Made Man / White Bear Theatre

Lighting Design
Ben Jacobs / The Wolves Of Willoughby Chase / Jack Studio
David Plater (lighting) & Andzrej Goulding (video) / Room / Theatre Royal Stratford East
Norvydals Genys / Eyes Closed, Ears Covered / Bunker
Zoe Spurr / Phoenix Rising / Car Park, Smithfield Meat Market

Set Design
Lily Arnold / Room / Theatre Royal Stratford East
Max Dorey / Talk Radio / Old Red Lion Theatre
Rosanna Vize / Low Level Panic / Orange Tree Theatre

Sound Design
George Dennis / Guards at the Taj / Bush Theatre
Juan Coolio / White Fang / Park Theatre
Max & Ben Ringham and George Dennis / Killer / Shoreditch Town Hall

TBC Award
Joan / Ovalhouse
The Last Straw / Ovalhouse
Christopher Green / Prurience / Southbank Centre
Lucy McCormack / Triple Threat / Soho Theatre

The following awards will be announced in early February 2018:
Production for Young People under 7
Production for Young People 8-12
Production for Young People 13+