Offies Finalists Revealed as Awards Mark 15 Years

The finalists for the OffWestEnd Awards (Offies) have been announced, as the UK’s foremost awards for independent theatre mark their 15th anniversary. This year’s nominees include a diverse mix of emerging grassroots talent and stars of stage and screen who continually choose to perform in Off-West End’s incredible world-class venues.

Following the unveiling of the new awards process last month, this year’s ceremony will introduce the new category-less model designed to create a more dynamic, inclusive, and transparent way of recognising the exceptional and innovative theatre as it emerges. The organisers promise an “entertainment-focused” event that will showcase the variety and creativity of theatre at all levels and sizes that takes place all over London and beyond.

To celebrate 15 years at the forefront of celebrating British theatre, this year’s Offies will take place at a new partner venue: Central Hall Westminster (right opposite the Abbey).  Central Hall has a rich history of hosting important live events, and with a capacity of up to 2000 people it brings opportunities to expand the profile of the Offies.

This year’s Offies will be produced by ex-Olivier Awards Executive Producer Julian Bird OBE, through his production company Green Room Ents Ltd which announces a three-year partnership with the Offies starting this year.  Executive Producers for the show will be Julian Bird OBE and Denholm Spurr.  More details of the evening, including host, performers and presenters will be announced shortly.

The Offies have a history of spotlighting groundbreaking theatre before it reaches mainstream acclaim, with past winners including Baby Reindeer, Fleabag, and Operation Mincemeat – proving that Off-West End is a crucial launchpad for new talent Off-West End is the affordable (and sustainable) alternative to the West End where you can see exceptional talent live and grow.

But Off-West End is also a unique destination in its own right, and this year’s finalists reflect the sector’s remarkable draw including West End star Victoria Hamilton-Barritt, Doctor Who’s Tosin Cole,  Tony Award-winning original Éponine in Les Misérables Frances Ruffelle, and a world premiere by celebrated playwright Roy Williams. Productions include a revival of what became the hit TV show Kim’s Convenience, a Pet Shop Boys musical, and the debut run of Shifters – which has already made a rapid West End transfer following its debut run.

With the revamped Offies ceremony set for Monday 17th March, this year’s event places the awards firmly at the centre of awards season.  Tickets are now on sale.

As previously announced, the awards will abolish the current category model, introducing a  streamlined system around eight broad Areas of Exceptional Contribution. These will enable the Offies to recognise exciting forms and creatives as they emerge.  

The new Offies will better herald the grassroots talent that defines the industry. Denholm Spurr, Executive Producer of the Offies, commented, Over the past 15 years, the Offies have played a pivotal role in establishing Off-West End as the most vibrant, dynamic, and accessible place for creating and experiencing extraordinary theatre. The newly revamped ceremony is a testament to that growth, and I’m thrilled to collaborate with Julian Bird as we modernise and evolve. Together, we aim to create an event that not only celebrates the winners but also serves as a flagship moment for the entire sector—showcasing the innovation, talent, and passion that make it truly exceptional.

 Julian Bird, CEO of Green Room Ents, commented, Our team at Green Room Ents are delighted to come on board to produce the awards for the next 3 years as we look to celebrate theatre in all its guises, and shine a light on the extraordinary talent working in our industry.

Throughout the year, Offies assessors reviewed thousands of potential nominees across nearly 600 productions at over 100 venues. With our three-tier assessment process—the most rigorous in the industry—narrowing the field to just over 100 nominees is a monumental achievement. Simply making the final list is an accolade in itself. Our new approach, organised into eight Areas of Production, Staging, Performance, Design, Sound & Music, Creation, Industry & Inclusion, and Innovation, ensures all genres of theatre are celebrated equally, with no specific categories and no fixed number of winners. 

Below, you’ll find the full list of winners and finalists who have set the standard for exceptional theatre.

PRODUCTION

• A Letter To Lyndon B. Johnson Or God: Whoever Reads This First / Natasha & Xhloe (Kings Head Theatre)
• Blood Show / Battersea Arts Centre, Chapter Arts Centre, Colchester Arts Centre (Battersea Arts Centre)
• Follow The Signs / Fuse Theatre (Soho Theatre)
• Goldie Frocks and the Bear Mitzvah / JW3 (JW3 London)
• In Clay / Design & Canvas Co (Gatehouse Theatre)
• Journey of a Refugee / Theatre Rites (Stanley Arts Centre)
• Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five (or the children’s crusade) / So It Goes Theatre (Brockley Jack Theatre)
• L’Addition / Forced Entertainment (Battersea Arts Centre)
• Monica Salvi: Spirits In My Closet / Crazy Cat Dive Productions (Stage Door Theatre)
• Napoleon: Un Petit Pantomime / Charles Court Opera (Jermyn Street Theatre)
• Run, Rebel / Pilot Theatre (Theatre Peckham)
• Shifters / Bush Theatre (Bush Theatre)
• Sleeping Beauty / Broadway Theatre (Broadway Theatre, Catford)
• Sophie's Surprise 29th  / Three Legged Race Productions (Underbelly)
• The Big Life / Stratford East, Chuchu Nwagu Productions (Theatre Royal Stratford East)
• The Lonely Londoners / Jermyn Street Theatre (Jermyn Street Theatre)

STAGING

• Dkfash, Rebecca Solomon / by their fruits (Theatre503)
• Hannah Grennell / Giselle: Remix (The Pleasance)
• Toby Clarke / I Love You, Now What? (Park Theatre)
• Grace Taylor / In Clay (Gatehouse Theatre)
• Iskandar Sharazuddin / King Troll (The Fawn) (New Diorama Theatre)
• Christopher Haydon / Never Let Me Go (Rose Theatre)
• Lanre Malaolu / Now I See (Theatre Royal Stratford East)
• Robert Mcwhir / The Story of My Life (Stage Door Theatre)
• Tom Littler / Twelfth Night (Orange Tree Theatre)

PERFORMANCE

• Natasha Roland, Xhloe Rice / A Letter To Lyndon B. Johnson Or God: Whoever Reads This First (Kings Head Theatre)
• Kate Donnachie / Aladdin (Watford Palace Theatre)
• Victoria Hamilton-Barritt / Bronco Billy The Musical (Charing Cross Theatre)
• Mark Weinman / Captain Amazing (Southwark Playhouse)
• James Alexandrou, Kate Kelly Flood / Casserole (Arcola Theatre)
• Frances Ruffelle / Closer To Heaven (The Turbine Theatre)
• Virginia Gay / Cyrano (Park Theatre)
• The Cast / Dick Whittington And His Cat (Greenwich Theatre)
• Faye Castelow / Here In America (Orange Tree Theatre)
• Rosalind Ford / In Clay (Gatehouse Theatre)
• The Cast / Journey of a Refugee (Stanley Arts Centre)
• Ins Choi / Kim’s Convenience (Park Theatre)
• Sam Mitchell, Enyi Okoronkwo / King James (Hampstead Theatre)
• Bertrand Lesca, Nasi Voutsas / L’Addition (Battersea Arts Centre)
• Alexa Davies / Lady Dealer (Bush Theatre)
• Kai Luke Brümmer / Moffie (Riverside Studios)
• Anna Russell Martin / No Love Songs (Southwark Playhouse)
• Nnabiko Ejimofor / Now I See (Theatre Royal Stratford East)
• Oliver Alvin-Wilson / Now I See (Theatre Royal Stratford East)
• The Cast / The Belt - Past and Future (Coronet Theatre)
• Mariah Gale, Elizabeth Dulau, Alexandra Jensen / The Bleeding Tree (Southwark Playhouse)
• Ellena Vincent, Peter De Jersey, Daniel Francis-Swaby / The Book of Grace (Arcola Theatre)
• Joseph Millson / The Forsyte Saga (Park Theatre)
• Milo Twomey / The Harmony Test (Hampstead Theatre)
• Michela Murphy, Darcey O’Rourke, Felicity Sparks / The Littlest Yak (Polka Theatre)
• Ollie Maddigan / The Olive Boy (New Wimbledon Theatre)
• Danielle Bird, Nathan Johnston, Robert Penny, Rhiannon Skerritt / The Princess and the Pea (Unicorn Theatre)
• Jo Fong, George Orange / The Rest of Our Lives (Battersea Arts Centre)
• Skye Hallam / The Voice Of The Turtle (Jermyn Street Theatre)
• Thomas Oxley / [Title of Show] (Southwark Playhouse)
• Heather Agyepong, Tosin Cole / Shifters (Bush Theatre)
• The Cast / Sleeping With Beauty (The Union Theatre)
• Phoebe Ladenburg / Surrender (Arcola Theatre)
• Joshua Malina, Caroline Catz, Dorothea Myer-Bennett, Simon Yadoo, Gabriel Howell
• / What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank (Marylebone Theatre)
• Ciaran O'Breen / Wonder Boy (Theatre Royal Stratford East)
• Victoria Yeates / Wormholes (Omnibus Theatre)

DESIGN

• Sam Wilde / Boxville (Little Angel Theatre)
• Sarah Mercade / Bronco Billy The Musical (Charing Cross Theatre)
• Amanda Ramasawmy / by their fruits (Theatre503)
• Cameron Gleave / Club Life (Omnibus Theatre)
• Shay Barclay, Yvonne Gilbert, Cleo Pettitt / Dick Whittington and his Cat (Hackney Empire)
• Rachael Ryan / In Clay (Gatehouse Theatre)
• Simon Daw, Mark Doubleday / Journey of a Refugee (Stanley Arts Centre)
• Mona Camille / Kim’s Convenience (Park Theatre)
• Douglas Baker / Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five (or the children’s crusade) (Jack Studio Theatre)
• Lambdog1066 / Metamorphoses (Cockpit Theatre)
• Ryan Day / Now I See (Theatre Royal Stratford East)
• Stewart J Charlesworth / Pinocchio (Theatre Royal Stratford East)
• Jack Weir / Remembrance Monday (Tristan Bates Theatre)
• Laura Mcewen, Keith Fredrick, Oliver Hymans, Aaron Dootson / Rosie Robin and the Christmas Post (Little Angel Theatre)
• Luke Adamson / That Girl vs The World (Battersea Arts Centre)
• Jasmine Swan / The Big Life (Theatre Royal Stratford East)
• Richard Evans, Rochelle Parry Clifford / The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan (Harrow Arts Centre)
• Alex Marker / The Silver Cord (Finborough Theatre)
• Helen Skiera / Toto Kerblammo! (Unicorn Theatre)
• Casey Jay Andrews, Simon Wilkinson, Gareth Fry / Viola's Room (One Cartridge Place)

SOUND & MUSIC

• Matt Herbert / In Clay (Gatehouse Theatre)
• Xana / King Troll (The Fawn), Shifters, Guards at the Taj (New Diorama/Bush Theatre/Orange Tree)
• Beats And Elements / Romeo & Juliet (Polka Theatre)
• Liam Holmes / Songs for a New World (Gatehouse Theatre)
• Aaron Clingham / Stephen Sondheim's Marry Me a Little (Stage Door Theatre)
• Ian Oakley / The Big Life (Theatre Royal Stratford East)
• Barra Collins, Joseph Hardy / The Littlest Yak (Polka Theatre)
• Naomi Hammerton, Nina Segal / The Odyssey (Unicorn Theatre)

CREATION

• Emily Woof / Blizzard (Soho Theatre)
• Che Walker / Burnt Up Love (Finborough Theatre)
• Maddie Dai / Captain Sandy and the Sea Monster (Puppet Theatre Barge)
• Rob Drummond / Don't. Make. Tea. (Soho Theatre)
• Rebecca Simmonds, Jack Miles / In Clay (Gatehouse Theatre)
• Ruairi Conaghan / Lies Where it Falls (Finborough Theatre)
• Cal-i Jonel / No More Mr Nice Guy (Broadway Theatre, Catford)
• Khalil Abdalla / Nowhere / Fuel (Battersea Arts Centre)
• Manjeet Mann / Run, Rebel (Theatre Peckham)
• Benedict Lombe / Shifters (Bush Theatre)
• Roy Williams / The Lonely Londoners (Jermyn Street Theatre)
• Ollie Maddigan / The Olive Boy (New Wimbledon Theatre)
• Neil Bartram, Brian Hill / The Story of My Life (Stage Door Theatre)
• Tim Crouch / Toto Kerblammo! (Unicorn Theatre)

INNOVATION

• Soho Theatre, Impatient Productions / Julia Masli: Ha Ha Ha (Soho Theatre)
• Soho Theatre / Natalie Palamides: WEER (Soho Theatre)
• Contra, Le Carré Magique, Cambridge Junction / Spectacle of Herself (Battersea Arts Centre)

INDUSTRY & INCLUSION

• Justin Hopper / Bedbug (Drayton Arms Theatre)
• Birds Of Paradise Theatre Co / Don't. Make. Tea. (Soho Theatre)
• Fuse Theatre / Follow The Signs (Soho Theatre)
• Kadiesha Belgrave / Grud (Hampstead Theatre)
• Luke Madaj / How Did I Get Here (Bread and Roses Theatre)
• Julia Thurston / Paved with Gold and Ashes (Barons Court Theatre)
• Rhianna Ilube / Samuel Takes A Break… (The Yard Theatre)
• Hannah Saxby / Some Demon (Arcola Theatre)
• Asylum / Surfacing (Omnibus Theatre)
• Hugo Pilcher / The Tailor-Made Man (Stage Door Theatre)
• Alex Hill / Why I Stuck a Flare Up My Arse for England (Southwark Playhouse)

From star-studded West End shoe-ins and groundbreaking, immersive productions to community-driven inclusive work, these nominees reflect the evolving landscape of theatre and celebrate a sector that is affordable, sustainable, accessible and incredible… Let’s show off!

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