Union & Finborough Win Three at Inaugural ‘Offies’
The first Off West End Theatre Awards or “Offies” were presented this afternoon (27 February 2011) during a ceremony at Wilton’s Music Hall hosted by Simon Callow.
Thom Southerland was recognised as Best Director at the helm of rarely-staged Rogers and Hammerstein musical Me and Juliet which played the Finbrough in October last year, whilst Howard Hudson shared his Best Lighting Award for the production with Tomorrow Morning at the Landor.
The Best Production category was won by the Union Theatre’s revival of Stephen Sondheim‘s Assassins, Steve Miller also winning Best Sound Design for the musical, celebrating the composer’s 80th birthday. A second musical revival, Bells Are Ringing took the Southwark venue’s tally to three, with Alistair David awarded the Best Choreographer prize.
In the performance categories the winners came from subsidised houses, Danny Webb taking home the Best Male Performance prize for his part in the Lyric Hammersmith’s revival of Sarah Kane‘s Blasted. Michelle Terry won the Best Female Performance award for her role in Nina Raine‘s Tribes at the Royal Court which was also named Best New Play.
Former Eastenders and Lion King actor Arinze Kene was named most promising playwright for his debut play Estate Walls which ran at the Oval House Theatre in September last year.
Launched in January 2010 by OffWestEnd.com, the Offies seek to “reward and honour excellence” and to raise the profile and status of independent theatres in London. Over 400 productions at 80 theatres were considered for the Awards by 40 assessors with a panel of theatre critics choosing the final winners.
Five public voting categories recognising Best Male and Female performances and Most Welcoming Theatre, Best Theatre Bar and Best Theatre Foodie Experience will be announced separately.
The full list of winners at the 2011 Off West End Theatre Awards:
Award for Best Female Performance
Michelle Terry in Tribes at the Royal Court
Award for Best Male Performance
Danny Webb in Blasted at the Lyric Hammersmith
Award for Best Production
Assassins at the Union Theatre
Award for Best New Musical
Porn – The Musical at Theatre503
Award for Best Choreographer
Alistair David for Bells are Ringing at the Union Theatre
Award for Best Entertainment
The Animals and Children Took to the Streets at BAC
Award for Best Producer
Award for Best Director
Thom Southerland for Me and Juliet at the Finborough Theatre
Award for Best New Play
Tribes by Nina Raine at the Royal Court
Award for Most Promising New Playwright
Arinze Kene for Estate Walls at Oval House
Award for Best Artistic Director/Programmer
Neil McPherson at the Finborough Theatre
Award for Best Lighting Design
Howard Hudson for Me and Juliet at the Finborough Theatre and Tomorrow Morning at the Landor Theatre
Award for Best Sound Design
Steve Miller for Assassins at Union Theatre
Award for Best Set Design
Ultz for The Beauty Queen of Leenane at the Young Vic
Award for Best Costume/Make-up Design
Emily Stuart for Anyone Can Whistle at Jermyn Street Theatre
Award for Best Marketing Campaign
Ghost Stories at the Lyric Hammersmith
Panel Award
Chickenshed
