The Offies, formally called The Off West End Theatre Awards, is an annual awards ceremony launched in 2010 by OffWestEnd to recognise and celebrate excellence, innovation and ingenuity of independent Off West End theatres across London. The awards recognise productions staged outside the commercial West End and highlight the work of emerging and established artists, companies, and creative teams.
History The OffWestEnd 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 Sophie Mason and Diana Jervis-Read as director. In 2024, Denholm Spurr became the director.
Many shows recognized by OffWestEnd have gone on to transfer to the West End, Broadway, and beyond. They include Fleabag, Operation Mincemeat, and Kenrex, among others.
Ceremony Date Award Ceremony Host Awards Venue Ref.27 February 2011 Simon Callow Wilton's Music Hall, Shadwell 5 February 2012 Louise Jameson Theatre Royal Stratford East 24 February 2013 Simon Callow Battersea Arts Centre 2 March 2014 Louise Jameson Unicorn Theatre, Southwark 20 April 2015 Louise Jameson Online 28 February 2016 Ian McKellen (via Twitter) Theatre Royal Stratford East 26 February 2017 Patrick Stewart (via Twitter) Online 4 March 2018 Amy Lamé Albany Theatre, Deptford 31 May 2019 Geoffrey Brown Battersea Arts Centre 8 March 2020 Host; Geoffrey Brown Presenters; Lyn Gardner, Danielle Tarento, Julie Ward, Winsome Pinnock, Lynette Linton Battersea Arts Centre 21 February 2021 Geoffrey Brown Online 20 February 2022 Geoffrey Brown Online 12 February 2023 Geoffrey Brown Alexandra Palace Theatre 25 February 2024 Geoffrey Brown Woolwich Works 17 March 2025 Davina Di Campo Central Hall Westminster 30 March 2026 Davina Di Campo Central Hall Westminster
Notable winners The following tables highlight selected notable winners and finalists from each year of the Offies.
Year Recipients 2011 Producer: Will Young and Ben Monks – Supporting Wall(Finalist) Set Design: Ultz – Blue/Orange (Nominee); Ultz – The Beauty Queen of Leenane(Winner) New Play: Torben Betts – The Company Man (Nominee); Tim Luscombe – Hungry Ghosts (Nominee); Nina Raine – Tribes (Winner); James Graham – The Whisky Taster(Finalist) Most Promising New Playwright: Tom Wells – Me, As A Penguin (Finalist) Costume Design: Tom Scutt – Dick Whittington and His Cat (Nominee) Director: Tim Luscombe – Hungry Ghosts (Nominee); Thom Southerland – Singin' in the Rain (Nominee) Thom Southerland – Me and Juliet (Winner); Natalie Abrahami – How To Be An Other Woman (Nominee); Matthew Dunster – The Maddening Rain (Nominee) Female: Sinead Matthews – Lulu (Nominee); Sinead Matthews – The Glass Menagerie (Nominee) Michelle Terry – Tribes (Winner); Janet Suzman – Dream of the Dog (Finalist); Isla Blair – The Company Man (Nominee) Lighting Design: Paule Constable – Blasted (Finalist) Male: Olly Alexander – The Aliens (Nominee) 2012 Producer: [Will Young] and Ben Monks – Supporting Wall (Finalist); Danielle Tarento – Producer (Winner) Female: Vinette Robinson – Tender Napalm (Winner); Shannon Tarbet – Mogadishu (Nominee); Lisa Dillon – Knot of the Heart (Finalist); Lily James – Vernon God Little (Nominee); Denise Gough – The Painter (Nominee); Alice Birch – Many Moons (Nominee) New Play: Tom Wells – The Kitchen Sink (Finalist); David Eldridge – Knot of the Heart (Winner) Set Design: Tom Scutt – Mogadishu (Nominee) Male: Tom Byam Shaw – Foxfinder (Nominee); Toby Jones – The Painter (Nominee); David Mercatali – Director of Tender Napalm (Nominee – counted under directing); Bronagh Lagan – Henry VI Part I (Nominee – counted under directing); Adrian Lukis – As You Like It (Nominee) Director: Rufus Norris – Vernon God Little (Nominee); Paul Taylor-Mills – The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (Nominee); Nicholas Kent – Tactical Questioning (Nominee); Matthew Dunster – Tender Napalm (Nominee); Guy Retallack – Thrill Me (Nominee); David Byrne – Artistic Director (Nominee); Che Walker – Danny and the Deep Blue Sea (Nominee); Blanche McIntyre – The Accolade (Winner); Carrie Cracknell – Electra (Nominee); Adam Brace and Sebastian Armesto – Four Stage of Cruelty (Nominee) Choreographer: Lee Proud – Guys & Dolls (Finalist); Drew McOnie – Dames at Sea (Finalist) Lighting Design: Howard Hudson – Bed and Sofa (Nominee); Howard Hudson – Noel and Gertie (Nominee); Howard Hudson – Burlesque (Winner); Howard Hudson – Ragtime (Winner); Howard Hudson – The Hired Man (Winner) Most Promising New Playwright: Alice Birch – Many Moons (Nominee) 2013 Male: Tom Rhys Harries – Torch Song Trilogy (Nominee); Harry Melling – I Am a Camera (Nominee); Andrew Gower – The Conquest of the South Pole (Nominee); Alan Cox – Cornelius (Nominee) Director: Stephen Unwin – The Conquest of the South Pole (Nominee); Sam Yates – Cornelius (Nominee); Paul Taylor-Mills – Steel Pier (Nominee); Bill Buckhurst – Barbarians (Nominee) New Play: Nick Payne – One Day When We Were Young (Nominee) Sound Design: Max Pappenheim – Kafka v Kafka (Nominee) Female: Marianne Oldham – You Can Still Make a Killing (Nominee); Lucy Ellinson – Oh, The Humanity (Finalist); Laura Pitt-Pulford – Mack and Mabel (Nominee); Kathryn Hunter – The Bee (Nominee); Jenny Rainsford – Straight (Nominee); Hattie Morahan – The Dark Earth and the Light Sky (Nominee); Eileen Atkins – All That Fall (Winner); Aysha Kala – Khadija is 18 (Finalist); Aimie Atkinson – Steel Pier (Nominee) Choreographer: Lee Proud – Boy Meets Boy (Nominee); Lee Proud – Victor/Victoria (Nominee); Lee Proud – Mack and Mabel (Winner); Drew McOnie – Dames at Sea (Finalist) Producer: Danielle Tarento – Producer (Finalist) Most Promising New Playwright: Caroline Bird – The Trojan Women (Finalist) 2014 New Play: Will Adamsdale – The Victorian in the Wall (Nominee); Luke Barnes – Bottleneck (Finalist); Phoebe Waller-Bridge – Fleabag (Nominee); Frank McGuinness – The Match Box (Winner); Arinzé Kene – God's Property (Nominee) Most Promising New Playwright: Tori Allen-Martin and Sarah Henley – Streets (Nominee); Phoebe Waller-Bridge – Fleabag (Winner) Female: Sinéad Matthews – Trout Stanley (Nominee); Phoebe Waller-Bridge – Fleabag (Winner); Lucy Ellinson – Grounded (Finalist); Louise Jameson – Gutted (Nominee); Leanne Best – The Match Box (Finalist); Emma Rice – Steptoe & Son (Nominee); Cush Jumbo – Josephine & I (Nominee); Cressida Carre – Titanic (Nominee); Celia Graham – Titanic (Nominee) Director: Phyllida Lloyd – Josephine & I (Nominee); Paul Robinson – Land of Our Fathers (Finalist); Max Pappenheim – Nothing Is the End of the World (Finalist); Lucy Ellinson – Grounded (Nominee); Howard Hudson – Titanic (Nominee); Emma Rice – Steptoe & Son (Nominee) Artistic Director: Paul Robinson – Land of Our Fathers (Finalist); David Byrne – Artistic Director (Winner) Set Design: Oliver Townsend – Grounded (Winner); David Woodhead – Lizzie Siddal (Nominee) Costume Design: Howard Hudson – Lizzie Siddal (Winner); David Woodhead – Titanic (Winner) Lighting Design: Howard Hudson – Lizzie Siddal (Winner); Howard Hudson – Titanic (Winner) Choreographer: Cressida Carré – Titanic (Winner); TBC Award: Phoebe Waller-Bridge – Fleabag (Winner); Bryony Kimmings – Credible Likeable Superstar Role Model (Finalist); Forced Entertainment – Tomorrow's Parties (Winner) Sound Design: Ben Ringham, Max Ringham & David Rosenberg (theatre) – Ring (Winner) Musical Production: Titanic – Southwark Playhouse (Winner); Production: Grounded – Gate Theatre (Winner) 2015 Female: Victoria Hamilton-Barritt – The Heights (Nominee); Phoebe Waller-Bridge – The One (Nominee); Linda Bassett – Visitors (Winner); Gemma Whelan – Dark Vanilla Jungle (Nominee) Male: Robin Soans – Visitors (Finalist); Harry Lloyd – Notes From Underground (Finalist) New Play: Torben Betts – Invincible (Nominee); Nick Payne – Incognito (Nominee); Barney Norris – Visitors (Finalist); Che Walker – Klook's Last Stand (Nominee); Bill Buckhurst – Sweeney Todd (Nominee); Alistair McDowall – Pomona (Winner); Alexander Zeldin – Beyond Caring (Nominee) Most Promising New Playwright: Shaun Kitchener – Positive (Nominee); Alistair McDowall – Pomona (Nominee); Alexander Zeldin – Beyond Caring (Nominee) Supporting Male: Simon Scardifield – Punishment Without Revenge (Finalist); Director: Seb Harcombe – A Bright Room Called Day (Nominee); Paul Robinson – A Handful of Stars (Nominee); Paul Robinson – Land of Our Fathers (Finalist); Ned Bennett – Pomona (Winner); Jenny Eastop – Warde Street (Nominee); James Dacre – The Body of an American (Nominee); Guy Retallack – MacBeth (Nominee); David Mercatali – Dark Vanilla Jungle (Finalist); David Mercatali – Johnny Got His Gun (Nominee); Christopher Haydon – The Edge of Our Bodies (Nominee); Che Walker – Klook's Last Stand (Nominee); Bill Buckhurst – Sweeney Todd (Nominee); Belinda Lang – This Was A Man (Nominee) Artistic Director: Paul Robinson – Land of Our Fathers (Finalist); Set Design: Howard Hudson – The Heights (Finalist); David Woodhead – Visitors (Nominee) Lighting Design: Howard Hudson – Titanic (Finalist); Christopher Nairne – Johnny Got His Gun (Nominee) Sound Design: Max Pappenheim – Johnny Got His Gun (Nominee); Max Pappenheim – Martine (Nominee); Isobel Waller-Bridge – Incognito (Winner) Choreographer: Lee Proud – Carousel (Finalist); Drew McOnie – The Heights (Winner) TBC Award: Forced Entertainment – Tomorrow's Parties (Winner) Production: Titanic – Southwark Playhouse (Winner) 2016 Director: Thom Southerland – Grand Hotel (Nominee); Russell Labey – Gods and Monsters (Nominee); Gary Lloyd – Carrie (Nominee); Gary Lloyd – Carrie (Nominee – second production listing); Christopher Nairne – The Edge Of Our Bodies (Nominee); Chris White – Klook's Last Stand (Nominee) Female: Samantha Colley – Klippies (Nominee); Rochenda Sandall – Little Malcolm And His Struggle Against The Eunuchs (Finalist); Gemma Whelan – Radiant Vermin (Finalist); Eleanor Worthington Cox – Tom Cat (Nominee); Clare Higgins – Clarion (Winner); Shannon Tarbet – The Edge of Our Bodies (Finalist) Male: Matthew Tennyson – A Breakfast of Eels (Winner); Harry Melling – The Angry Brigade (Nominee); Greg Hicks – Clarion (Nominee) Supporting Female: Rochenda Sandall – Little Malcolm And His Struggle Against The Eunuchs (Finalist); Natasha Rickman – The Talented Mr Ripley (Nominee); Lucy Ellinson – The Christians (Finalist); Joanne Clifton – Face The Music (Nominee) Sound Design: Max Pappenheim – My Eyes Went Dark (Nominee); Max Pappenheim – Wink (Nominee); Isobel Waller-Bridge – Incognito (Winner) Set Design: Max Dorey – And Then Come The Nightjars (Nominee); Max Dorey – No Villain (Nominee) Choreography: Lee Proud – Grand Hotel (Winner); Gary Lloyd – Carrie (Finalist) Producer: Paul Taylor-Mills – Producer (Finalist) New Play: Jon Brittain – Rotterdam (Nominee); Belinda Lang – This Was A Man (Nominee); Barney Norris – Eventide (Finalist) Supporting Male: *(no Super Notables in this category for 2016)*