The finalists of the The Offies 2018 have been announced and as ever, there's much of interest there, in the choices made and the breadth of Off West End theatre celebrated. Play-wise, I'm delighted at the love for The Revlon Girl and An Octoroon here, nice to see the Bunker's Eyes Closed Ears Covered rewarded too, plus Will Pinchin's work in Frankenstein.
With the musicals, I'm not down with the love for Promises Promises, an ill-judged revival that added nothing to the conversation (and even less in these #MeToo times) and I'm disappointed that none of the boys of Yank! were recognised. The rest of the Southwark Playhouse's spectacular year does get the appropriate plaudits though, with Superhero, The Life and Working all getting multiple nominations.
And lastly, at times it can seem like all you have to do is sing in your bathroom and you get an Offie nomination 😉 so it is interesting to see how the numbers break down, albeit somewhat vaguely. These 80 or so finalists have apparently been whittled down from over 350 nominations from over 190 shows - there's clearly just a lot of Offies love to share. Should you wish to join in said sharing at the IRL award ceremony on Sunday 4th March at The Albany, Deptford, you can buy tickets here.
PLAYS
Ben Aldridge / Run The Beast Down / Finborough Theatre
Ian McDiarmid / What Shadows / Park Theatre
Patrick Sandford / Groomed / Soho Theatre
Supporting Female in a Play
Molly Hanson / Posh / Pleasance Theatre
Sinead Matthews / Loot / Park Theatre
Supporting Male in a Play
Jonathan Blaydon / Lord Dismiss Us / Above The Stag
Tom Rhys Harries / The Pitchfork Disney / Shoreditch Town Hall
Branden Jacobs-Jenkins / An Octoroon / Orange Tree Theatre
David Ireland / The End Of Hope / Soho Theatre
Roland Schimmelpfenning (translated by David Tushingham) / Winter Solstice / Orange Tree Theatre
Most Promising New Playwright
Katie Bonna / All The Things I Lied About / Soho Theatre
Natasha Marshall / Half Breed / Soho Theatre
Stephen Unwin / All Our Children / Jermyn Street Theatre
Audrey Sheffield / The Dark Room / Theatre503
Bucket List / Battersea Arts Centre
Home Truths / Bunker
The Gap In The Light / New Diorama
Trouble In Mind / Print Room
MUSICALS & OPERA
T'Shan Williams / The Life / Southwark Playhouse
Supporting Female in a Musical
Sarah-Louise Young / Yank! / Charing Cross Theatre
Sharon D. Clarke / The Life / 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
Gareth Bretherton / Hair / Vaults
Simon Holt / The Woman in White / Charing Cross Theatre
Hair / Vaults
My Land’s Shore / Ye Olde Rose & Crown Theatre
Cosi Fan Tutte / Baseless Fabric Theatre / Morden Civic Centre
L’Incoronazione Di Poppea / Hampstead Garden Opera / Jackson’s Lane
Tosca / King's Head Theatre
CREATIVE & DESIGN
Chris Whittaker / Top Hat / Upstairs at the Gatehouse
William Whelton / Hair / Vaults
Adrin Erra Puente / White Fang / Park Theatre
Mike Lees / The Tailor Made Man / White Bear Theatre
David Plater (lighting) & Andzrej Goulding (video) / Room / Theatre Royal Stratford East
Zoe Spurr / Phoenix Rising / Car Park, Smithfield Meat Market
Lily Arnold / Room / Theatre Royal Stratford East
Rosanna Vize / Low Level Panic / Orange Tree Theatre
Juan Coolio / White Fang / Park Theatre
Max & Ben Ringham and George Dennis / Killer / Shoreditch Town Hall
SPECIAL AWARDS
Joan / Ovalhouse
The Last Straw / Ovalhouse
Christopher Green / Prurience / Southbank Centre
Lucy McCormack / Triple Threat / Soho Theatre
Labels: Charlotte Gray, Cornell S John, Danny-Boy Hatchard, Gabriel Vick, Ken Nwosu, Lucy Robinson, Michael Rouse, Mimi Ndiweni, Peter Polycarpou, Sharon D Clarke, Sinéad Matthews, Sophia Mackay, T’Shan Williams