THE PANELS have met, opinions have been debated, disagreements thrashed out, passion spent, cappuccinos drained and the Smarties hoovered up......

THE FINALISTS are listed below in the Off West End Theatre Awards (The Offies), the first and only awards to acknowledge and celebrate the full spectrum of extraordinary achievements by over 100 independent theatres across London. Wherever we are invited, we go – with our assessors assessing nearly 400 productions over a 12 month period!

THE WINNERS will be tweeted by our gorgeous host this year, Sir Ian McKellen, on Sunday 28th February from 5pm onwards (just before the Oscars, of course!) in a loud and lavish social media celebration that last year topped 5 million exposures.

PATRON SAINTS
You will remember that the winners not only go off with a certificate but with the guarantee of advice and support from a very impressive line-up of Patron Saints. This is our cunning plan to move away from awards as a simple knees-up to awards as a tangible leg-up. The Patron Saints have been totally fabulous in taking our plucky new talents under their wing for the past two years, giving them specialist advice, guiding their next steps and facilitating introductions to other practitioners to help progress their careers – a very big thank you to them!

PARTY PACK
Our 2016 downloadable Party Pack is available free on the link below so whether you are a nominee or a finalist, start making plans to gather your friends in pubs, clubs, flats, tents and sheds on Sunday 28th February at 5pm – print off your programme, give the Sir Ian mask to your chosen host, pin on your nomination badge, make up your own categories if necessary, fill in your winner's certificate in preparation, poise yourself smirking in front of the downloadable sponsor board with glass in hand and start tweeting us at OffWestEnd.com!
http://www.offwestend.com/OFFIES2016/party_pack/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWExF5QP9HY

COUNTDOWN FROM NOW
Brace yourself from today for the countdown to the winners:
https://twitter.com/OffWestEndCom
http://instagram.com/offwestendcom
https://vine.co/u/1050125633579298816

Below you will find the finalists chosen by the Panel of Critics for their work in 2015 and please note that a small event will be held on Sunday 20th March 2016 at 5pm for the winners to pick up their award certificates – if you might be a winner, save the date!

OFFIE FINALISTS 2016
(in alphabetical order)

Best Female
Clare Higgins for Clarion at the Arcola Theatre
Gemma Whelan for Radiant Vermin at Soho Theatre
Nadia Nadarajah for Grounded at Park Theatre
Olivia Poulet for Product at the Arcola Theatre

Best Supporting Female
Emilie Patry for The Christians at the Gate Theatre
Kate Kennedy for Three Short Plays at the Old Red Lion
Lucy Ellinson for The Christians at the Gate Theatre
Rochenda Sandall for Little Malcolm And His Struggle Against The Eunuchs at Southwark Playhouse

Best Male
David Fielder for And Then Come The Nightjars at Theatre503
Ian Gelder for Gods and Monsters at Southwark Playhouse
Matthew Tennyson for A Breakfast Of Eels at The Print Room
Rob Compton for Bat Boy at Southwark Playhouse

Best Supporting Male
Chris Levens for Lovesong Of The Electric Bear at The Hope
Edward Halsted for Lady Anna: All At Sea at the Park Theatre
Scott Arthur for Little Malcolm And His Struggle Against The Eunuchs at Southwark Playhouse
Tim Wallers for Dead Sheep at Park Theatre

Best New Play
Patron Saint: Jack Bradley
SPONSORED BY EDWARDIAN HOTELS LONDON
A Breakfast Of Eels by Robert Holman at The Print Room
Eventide by Barney Norris at the Arcola Theatre
I And The Village by Silva Semerciyan at Theatre503

Most Promising New Playwright
Patron Saint: Jack Bradley
Bea Roberts for And Then Came The Nightjars at Theatre503
Ruby Rae Spiegel for Dry Land at the Jermyn Street Theatre
Tim Foley for The Dogs Of War at the Old Red Lion

Best Director
Patron Saint: Rufus Norris
SPONSORED BY THE STAGE
Josh Seymour for One Arm at Southwark Playhouse
Luke Sheppard for Casa Valentina at Southwark Playhouse
Paulette Randall for Play Mas at The Orange Tree

Best Lighting Designer
Patron Saints: Paule Constable & David Howe
SPONSORED BY WHITE LIGHT
Christopher Nairne for Teddy at Southwark Playhouse
James Whiteside for The Royale at the Bush Theatre
Sally Ferguson for And Then Came The Nightjars at Theatre503

Best Sound Designer
Patron Saint: Paul Arditti
David Gregory for Brenda at The Yard
Gareth Fry/Hybrid for Othello at the Lyric Hammersmith
Paul Freeman for Lovesong Of The Electric Bear at The Hope

Best Set Designer
Patron Saint: Bill Buckhurst
Fly Davis for Image Of An Unknown Young Woman at The Gate
Verity Quinn for Alpha Beta at the Finborough Theatre
Zoe Hurwitz for Lovesong Of The Electric Bear at The Hope

Best Costume Designer
Patron Saint: Catherine Kodicek
Emily Stuart for The Cutting Of The Cloth at Southwark Playhouse
Lee Newby for Grand Hotel at Southwark Playhouse
Xylona Appleton for Shock Treatment at The King’s Head

Best Choreographer
Patron Saint: Stephen Mear
Gary Lloyd for Carrie at Southwark Playhouse
Lee Proud for Grand Hotel at Southwark Playhouse
Matt Kazan for Loserville at The Union

Best Ensemble
Patron Saint: Nancy Meckler
Kandinsky Theatre for Dog Show at The New Diorama
Folie à deux Productions for Operation Crucible at the Finborough Theatre
Theatre Renegade for Scarlet at Southwark Playhouse

Best Production
Patron Saint: Mark Goucher
SPONSORED BY MASTERCLASS at TR HAYMARKET
Brenda at The Yard
Image Of An Unknown Young Woman at the Gate Theatre
Play Mas at The Orange Tree

Best New Musical
Patron Saints: Edward Snape of Fiery Angel
Teddy at Southwark Playhouse

Best Musical Production
Patron Saints: Edward Snape of Fiery Angel
Grand Hotel at Southwark Playhouse
She Loves Me at The Landor
Xanadu at Southwark Playhouse

Best Opera Production
Patron Saint: Nicholas Payne
Carmen by Opera Up Close at Soho Theatre
Don Giovanni by Hampstead Garden Opera at Upstairs At The Gatehouse
La Serve Padrona by Insieme at Wilton’s Music Hall

Best Artistic Director
Patron Saint: David Lan
Brian Logan (AD) and Amber Massie-Blomfield (ED) at CPT
Chris Smyrnios at Southwark Playhouse
Purni Morell at The Unicorn
Stewart Pringle at The Old Red Lion

Best Producer
Patron Saint: Sonia Friedman
DEM Productions at Theatre503
Paul Taylor Mills
Rachel Edwards at Tooting Arts Club

Best Production For Young People (Ages 0-7)
Patron Saint: John Retallack
Land Of Lights at Artsdepot
Town Hall Cherubs at Battersea Arts Centre
Whatever The Weather at the Polka Theatre

Best Production For Young People (Ages 8+)
Patron Saint: John Retallack
12 Days Of Christmas at The Chickenshed
Martyr by Unicorn Theatre and Actors Touring Company
Table Of Delights at the Print Room

TBC Award
Patron Saint: Toni Racklin
Arbonauts' The Desire Machine at the Brunel Tunnel
Caught by Christopher Chen at the Arcola Theatre Volta Festival
Verity Standen's HUG at Southbank Centre

Special Achievement Award to be announced on Sunday 28th February

To refer back to the full list of nominations please go to http://www.offwestend.com/index.php/pages/the_offies2016

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