OFFIE SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED as THE PATRON SAINTS go marching in!

With the help of industry heavyweights such as Sonia Freidman, Mark Goucher and David Lan, the Off West End Theatre Awards (The Offies) are taking a revolutionary step forward in redefining award ceremonies by connecting the winners with Patron Saints. This year, winners in 18 of the award categories will receive an introduction to an expert from within the theatre industry who can give them specialist advice, guide their next steps and facilitate introductions to other practitioners to help progress their careers. The aim of The Offies has always been to reward and assist new talent which is essential to the future of theatre. The support of The Offie Patron Saints is another big step in this direction, said Sofie Mason, Director of OffWestEnd.com the company that set up the awards 4 years ago. Mason explains, The idea to create the Offie Patron Saints was born out of inspired advice from Roland Smith, Artistic Director of Theatre Delicatessen, and is a natural extension of the generous clusters of patrons and angels who have supported theatre in all its forms for so long. The Offies are the first awards to acknowledge and celebrate the extraordinary achievements of over 100 independent theatres across London. Winners are chosen from over 400 productions over a 12 month period at venues all over London and then celebrated at an award ceremony by their peers, the press and the blogosphere. They are endorsed by such legends of the industry as Sir Ian McKellen, Sir Simon Callow, Dame Eileen Atkins, Alison Steadman, Lindsay Duncan and Sir Arnold Wesker. This is a great celebration of the advance guard of dramatic art, the coal-face of thespian enterprise, the hang-gliding of the stage. The Off-West End is a realm of the imagination where things that have not yet entered the mainstream can be aired and kicked about, youth can flex its muscles, age can throw caution to the winds; where you sacrifice comfort for a life-changing experience and emerge knowing that you saw it here first. Simon Callow Mason added Off-West End is the breeding ground for so much talent I am delighted the Patron Saints have not only agreed to take the best of the best and intercede on their behalf but also to enrich and enliven the industry in the process a huge thank you to them! The forthcoming Offie ceremony will be at the Unicorn Theatre on Sunday 2nd March 2014 5pm to 7.30pm.

The following leaders in the world of UK theatre have committed to supporting the winners in the following categories: Best Producer SONIA FRIEDMAN Best Artistic Director DAVID LAN Best Production MARK GOUCHER Best New Play JACK BRADLEY Most Promising New Playwright JACK BRADLEY Best Director RUFUS NORRIS Best Lighting PAULE CONSTABLE and DAVID HOWE Best Sound Designer PAUL ARDITTI Best Set Designer BILL BUCKHURST Best Costume Designer NATALIE ABRAHAMI Best Choreographer STEPHEN MEAR Best Ensemble POLLY TEALE Best Musical Production NIA JANIS and MATTHEW BYAM SHAW Best New Musical NIA JANIS and MATTHEW BYAM SHAW Best Opera NICHOLAS PAYNE Best TBC (for productions that defy definition) TONI RACKLIN Best Production for Young People JOHN RETALLACK The shortlist of nominees in each category in alphabetical order: Best Female Leanne Best for The Match Box at The Tricycle Lucy Ellinson for Grounded at The Gate Vicki Lee Taylor for On A Clear Day You Can See Forever at The Union Phoebe Waller-Bridge for Fleabag at Soho Best Male Joe Armstrong for The Dumb Waiter at The Print Room James Cooney for Bottleneck at Soho Michael Pennington for Dances of Death at The Gate Jamie Samuel for Jumpers for Goalposts at The Bush Best New Play Bottleneck by Luke Barnes at Soho Jumpers for Goalposts by Tom Wells at The Bush The Match Box by Frank McGuinness at The Tricycle Most Promising New Playwright Thomas Eccleshare for Pastoral at Soho Sam Potter for Mucky Kid at Theatre 503 Phoebe Waller-Bridge for Fleabag at Soho Best Director Jamie Glover for The Dumb Waiter at The Print Room Max Pappenheim for Nothing Is the End of the World at The Finborough Michael Strassen for Billy at The Union

Best Choreographer Cressida Carr for Titanic at Southwark Playhouse Lizzie Gee for HMS Pinafore at The Union Christopher Howell and Steven Harris for Chess at The Union Best Ensemble Simple8 for Moby Dick (Arcola) and The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (Arcola) Best Producer Sasha Regan at The Union Best Artistic Director David Byrne at The New Diorama Sasha Regan at The Union Paul Robinson at Theatre 503 Best Lighting Designer Dan Herd for The Life and Sort of Death of Eric Argyle at Soho Theatre Howard Hudson for Titanic (Southwark Playhouse) and Lizzie Siddal (Arcola) Matt Leventhall for Fishskin Trousers at The Finborough Best Sound Designer Ben and Max Ringham for Ring at Battersea Arts Centre Simon Slater for The Life of Stuff at Theatre 503 Fergus Waldron for Casualties at Park Theatre Best Set Designer Oliver Townsend for Grounded at The Gate Jamie Vartan for The Last Yankee at the The Print Room Michael Vale for Pastoral at Soho Best Costume Designer Amedine Bello for Little Soldiers at The Cockpit Elle-Rose Hughes for Darling of The Day at The Union David Woodhead for Lizzie Siddal at The Arcola and Titanic at Southwark Playhouse Best Production Grounded at The Gate Jumpers for Goalposts at The Bush Land of Our Fathers at Theatre 503 Best Musical Production Billy at The Union On A Clear Day You Can See Forever at The Union Titanic at Southwark Playhouse

Best New Musical Another Way at The Cockpit Glasgow Girls at Theatre Royal Stratford East Streets at The Cockpit Best Opera Production LOrfeo Monteverdi by Silent Opera at Trinity Buoy Wharf Mansfield Park by Hampstead Garden Opera at Upstairs At The Gatehouse Puppet Opera Triple Bill by Third Hand at The Rosemary Branch Best Production for Young People Cinderella at The Unicorn co-produced with Travelling Light and The Tobacco Factory Egg by Cahoots NI at Polka Theatre Henry V at The Unicorn Best TBC Production (recognising productions that defy all other categories) Bryony Kimmings: Credible Likeable Superstar Role Model at Soho Tomorrows Parties by Forced Entertainment at BAC Wuthering Heights by PeterMcMaster at BAC Special Panel Award to be announced at the ceremony ENDS

Notes to the Editors

See attached documents APPENDIX A BIOGRAPHIES OF PATRON SAINTS APPENDIX B - PANEL MEMBERS and SPONSORS OF THE OFFIES APPENDIX C - WINNERS & FINALISTS OF THE OFFIES OVER THE YEARS APPENDIX C HISTORY OF OFFWESTEND.COM For further information and images please contact Susan Morton on: 07810 648035 susan@mortonpr.co.uk