The Off Cut Festival is a showcase for new and undiscovered playwriting, directing and acting talent, with an emphasis on keeping the audience at the heart of the theatre experience.
It was created in 2009 by Trudi Boatwright and Daniel Brennan (artistic directors of In Company Theatre), with the first festival being held at The Old Red Lion Theatre in Angel, London. Twenty-eight short plays (24 in 2009 and 2010) run in four groups, with audience members voting for their favourite plays. The two plays in each group with the most votes go through to a final week, where the audience continues to vote until an ultimate winner is found. A panel of industry professionals attend the final night handing out awards for Writing, Directing and Ensemble Acting.
The festival was relaunched in Manchester in 2019 at the theatre 53two and returned in 2023.
Off Cut 2009
The first festival was held at The Old Red Lion Theatre in Angel, London from 29 September to 18 October. The panel was headed by Moira Buffini, and included playwrights Josephine Melville and Robert Rigby, directors Psyche Stott and Nigel Douglas, producer Andrew Robb; literary agent Anna Brewer; playwright and actor Andrew Neil and Old Red Lion Artistic directors, Helen and Damien Devine.
One hundred and ninety-six plays were submitted from all over the world.
Group One
Play Writer Director Cast Notes Welcome to Quiz Night John Moorhouse Tobias Tobbel James Clossick The Teacher Who Loved Me Chantelle Dusette Paul Blinkhorn Emily Holden, Daniel Wiltshire This Just In Darren Murphy Darren Murphy Denise Stephenson, Tim Lewis Finalist - Winner Panel Award for Ensemble Acting The Curse of Elizabeth Faulkner Tim Downie Anthony Coleridge Finalist - This play has toured extensively and had an extended run at New Players Theatre in the autumn of 2013 Bugaboo Christine Roberts Michael Miller Christine Edwards, Peter Mann, Singers Louise Gooding Janet Palmer Nicholas Agnew, Ed Cooper Clarke, Stacey Evans
Group Two
Play Writer Director Cast Notes Juicy Cherry Tracy Whitwell Joss Bennathan Ben Mars (as Ben Enright), Tracy Whitwell Finalist Fish and Chips Twice Fiona Keen, Andy Pandini Adam Morley Gemma Seren, Christopher Tajah Mr Jolly Lives Next Door Michael Stewart Daniel Brennan Jack Kelly When original director became indisposed, Daniel Brennan took over at the last minute. He was not eligible for any award No Idea Tom Ellen Juliane von Sivers Matt Jamie, Mark Parsons Finalist - Panel Award for Directing Momentum Craig Burrows Lawrence Carmichael Kerry Wootten, Lights Out Jeff Nolan Stephen Glover Richard Kowold, Erica Thomas-Lowe
Group Three
Play Writer Director Cast Notes Stone Crossing Mark Homer Jayne Denny Thomas Coombes, Edward Law, Elizabeth Webster Finalist The Perfect Girl Øystein Ulsberg Brager John Ward Mark Conway The Hindsight Saga Stuart Paterson Jemma Gross John Last, Steven Rostance, Finalist Something Came Out Nicholas Pierpan Spud and Moose Anneka Harry Leanne Davis Human by Default David Andrew Gregg Louisa Fitzgerald
Group Four
Play Writer Director Cast Notes The Game Julie Bower Sophie Lifschutz Sharon Andrew, James Marsh Bodyguard Peter Drake Oscar Toeman Maxine Howard Closer to God Anna Jordan Anna Jordan Peter Gordon, Ursula Early Finalist - Panel Award for Writing; Audience Award for Best Play The Intricate Workings of a Sherbet Lemon Stuart Lee Kamaal Hussian Peter Mann, Liv Spencer A Wake Julia St. John Julia St John Joy Blakeman, Peter McEnery, Like It Never Happened Bea Appleby Kate McGregor Debra Baker, Graham Sterling Finalist
Off Cut 2010
After the unprecedented success of the first festival, it was quickly decided by all parties that a second event would run at the same venue from 21 September to 10 October. The same panel (though this time without Andrew Neil) was joined by actor Patricia Hodge, literary agent Lisa Babalis and playwright Tena Štivičić.
The Artistic Directors were joined by Nick Kneller as Producer.
This was the only year that the Off Cut producers selected a 'wild card' entry for the finals.
All actors would now be cast in collaboration with the Off Cut company, as opposed to writers and/or directors finding their own.
Four hundred and thirty-six plays were received, with writers from around the world able to submit up to four plays.
Group One
Play Writer Director Cast Notes Balls Mark Withers Asia Osborne Victoria Daniels, Gabriella Schmidt The Summer Display Sheri Graubert Katie Lewis True Ewan Jeffrey Chris O'Donnell Lee Drage The Nth Degree Bernie Shevlin Kay Michael Karina Sugden, Charlotte Sutherland Shortlisted for Wild Card Room With A Door Alexis Boddy Tom Latter Brigid Lohrey, Robert Mason Finalist I Love Paris Richard Fichett Janet Palmer Nicholas Agnew, Mark Conway Finalist
Group Two
Play Writer Director Cast Notes Hetherington's Box Jonathan Brown Helen Tennison Freddie Machin, Panni Skrivanos, Graham Sterling, Shortlisted for Wild Card Mad Mary Dancin' Doc Anderson-Bloomfield Anna Ostergren Sarah Flower, Tracey Kearney Sweet Engineering of the Lucid Mind Mitch Féral Alison Convey Debra Baker, Simon Nicholas Finalist - Panel Award for Writing, Panel Award for Directing I Just Called Tanja Mariadoss Luisa Hinchliff Kate Walsh Finalist - Panel Award for Ensemble Acting (even though this was a one-woman play) Shrink Sadie Frost Juliane von Sivers Chandrika Chevli, Kate Russell-Smith Plenty of Fish in the Sea Luke Smith Helen Broughton Andrew Glen,
Group Three
Play Writer Director Cast Notes Lactose Intolerable Lola Stephenson Christopher Loscher Helen Clapp, Michael Norledge, Chloë Thorpe Shortlisted for Wild Card Home Mihaela Nicolescu Kate McCarthy Adam Smethurst, Jennifer Tan On a Day Like This John Turley Mark Pollard Aiden McCarthy Finalist - Audience Award for Best Play The Limestone Epoch Katy Brooksbank Eero Suojanen Erica Thomas-Lowe, 2... 8... 13... Jon Petherbridge Dawn Kalani Cowle Mexico Way Tracy Whitwell Tracy Whitwell Olivia Caffrey, Don Gilet, Matt Jamie Finalist
Group Four
Play Writer Director Cast Notes If I Were You Sophie Alderson Charlie Henniker Priscilla Gray, Karl Niklas, The Inspiration Virginia Hayden Martin Hackett Jennie Lathan Finalist Falling Apart Julia Bolden Gemma Kerr Richard Fish, Joanna Waters Pimp My Baby Louise Gooding Michael Miller Joanna Clancy, Stanley Eldridge, Polly Hughes, Duncan Pearse The Trunk Mike Carter Scott le Crass Stephen Brannan, Will McGeough Finalist - Wild Card. A full-length version of this play will run at The Space (Theatre) in 2014 Rise and Shine Joseph Murray Gilli Foley Harry Lobek, Naomi Reynolds Finalist
Off Cut 2011
After another enormously successful run, it was decided that the festival needed to move to a bigger venue. The Riverside Studios - Studio Three would be Off Cut's new home and the festival ran from 27 September to 16 October. The panel, still headed by Moira Buffini, included casting director Jo Buckingham and Rob Drummer of HighTide.
A record 722 plays were submitted for consideration.
As in previous years, 24 plays were chosen by Off Cut's reading panel. A further eight were put to a panel of theatre bloggers, who chose four to go through to the festival. The bloggers were Scott Matthewman, Ian Foster of Ought to be Clowns, video blogger Alison Child, Luke Murphy of Twespians and Havana Wellings-Longmore of Talawa Theatre Company.
To further advocate the spirit of collaboration, from this year no writer was allowed to direct their own work.
Trudi Boatwright moved back to Australia, where she is still involved in Off Cut and runs a pared-down version in Melbourne.
In Company Theatre was closed down and The Off Cut Festival became a company in its own right.
Group One
Play Writer Director Cast Notes A Date With Doris Jilly Gardner Sandra Maturana Sibéal McGuinne, Zak Rowlands The Poet Alan Fielden James O'Donnell Scott Ainslie, Mark Moore Granted... Lauren Spring Kenneth O'Toole Victoria Allies, Stephen Fawkes They F*** You Up, You're Mum and Dad Michael O'Hanlan Luisa Hinchliff Lorayne Constance, David Forest, Kathy Trevelyan Bloggers' Choice Finalist The Wrong Tree Wally Sewell Brigid Lohrey Richard Fish, Denise Stephenson, Nathan Thompson Finalist - Panel Award for Directing A Million Things Tracy Harris Nick Borsack Eleanor Barr, Ceri Murphy, Martin Pratt The Viewing Ross Howard Tim Lee Karsten Huttenhain, Joanne Entwistle, Stephen Kelly, Duncan Pearse
Group Two
Play Writer Director Cast Notes All Men Are Rosalind Adler Laura Vorwerg Robert Lyon, Philip Mansfield, Tabitha Money, Kate Russell-Smith Bound Rebecca A Fielding Francesca Camozzi John Bulleid, Luanna Priestman Finalist - Panel Award for Writing MEAT Neil Bebber Amy Simpson David Maybrick, Sharon Young Due to the indisposition of Sharon Young, the director replaced her for one performance. Skyclad Alex Everard Tanith Lindon Lauren Baxter, Edward Mitchell Percolate Tom Stenton Lavinia Hollands Susan McGoun, David Meyer Two Rings Louise Taylor Michael Wilding Natalie Bromley, Ellie Dickens, Barry Wilson Bloggers' Choice Finalist Wet Dog Ösp Viggósdóttir Martin Hackett Joanna Greaves, Karl Niklas, Victoria Waddington
Group Three
Play Writer Director Cast Notes The Final Days of Fringe Theatre Ian Townsend Sharon Willems Mary Benn, Freddie Machin, Kate A Walsh Bloggers' Choice Memories of Loss Hannah Williams Walton Ali Anderson-Dyer Joseph Adelakun, Elisha Myton, Rachael Seaton, Tessa Wood Not to Be Jake Leonard Sian Thomas Laura Glover Alternative Therapy Beatrice Armstrong Dawn Kalani-Cowle Daniel Hallissey, Ewa Jenson (as Ewa Jaworski), Erica Thomas-Lowe Finalist The Dictator's Face Afsaneh Gray Tom McLaren Tobias Deacon, Funmi Ogunleye, Chetan Pathak Spring Georgina Burns Gbemisola Ikumelo Simon Nicholas, Jennifer Tan Looking for Vi Mark Wright Julia St. John Joy Blakeman, Peter Clements, Maroussia Frank || Finalist - Panel Award for Ensemble Acting. Recently turned into a film featuring Josie Lawrence
Group Four
Play Writer Director Cast Notes Low Prices You Can Taste Michael Ross Abbie Lucas Ffion Jolly, Chris Urch Click Mike Carter Justen Bennett Sara Bahadori, Joe Browder, Stephanie Toghill, Ryan Witchert Bloggers' Choice Quid Pro Quo Sandra Hale Max Pappenheim Peter Henderson, Jennifer Munby Skunk Erasmus Murikami William Glenn Emily Holden, Viana Maya, Charlotte Slater Following injury at dress rehearsal, this play was never performed The Craft Andrew Biss Lydia Parker Dan March, Tracey Anne Wood Finalist Basement Flat Steven Rostance Scott Le Crass Richard Jackson, Lainey Shaw Let There Be Tanja Mariodoss Kate Bannister Joanna Eliot, John Hoye, Hannah Wood Finalist - Audience Award for Best Play
Off Cut 2012
The festival remained at Riverside for 2012, moving into the much larger Studio Two. It ran from 25 September until 13 October. The panel was again headed by Moira Buffini, and included actor (and former Off Cut participant), Julia St. John and Matthew Poxon of The National Theatre Studio.
The number of plays writers were allowed to submit was reduced from four to two, and only UK-based playwrights were eligible or consideration. Nevertheless, 396 plays were received.
The Bloggers' Choice panel was made up of Ian Foster, Alison Child and Scott Matthewman.
This year, audience members were also able to vote online for their favourite actors (male and female), playwright and director.
Group One