The Offies are back! For the first time in 3 years, the most prestigious awards celebrating the talent and effort of fringe and alternative theatre return to a live event – hosted on this occasion in the allure of London’s staggering Alexandra Palace. Guillermo Nazara tells us all the details about the experience, to take us into the excitement of an evening for everyone to remember.
“Fringe is the genre that allows us to take the risk of telling those stories that deserve to be told”. A shine of wisdom fills the air as an euphoric crowd bursts into applause and cheering. Certainly there are things that are not West End material – at least during their first stage (no pun intended). And nothing boosts an artist’s energies and creative power more than the confidence to be daring – to twist things around and let his imaginative madness take control, with no concern whatsoever of stuffing a 15-hundred venue 8 times a week. It still has to sell, so careful with what your minds may be leading you to… Just saying…
Last night, London’s usual buzz exceeded its own charts with the return of the Off West End Awards (Offies, for close friends) – throwing their first live ceremony since the halt caused by the pandemic. This year taking place within the fortified walls of London’s Alexandra Palace (a towering venue with proportions almost as huge as it’s historical past), this gathering of talent, colleagues and arts aficionados has truly felt more like a family reunion, where the love and support for this genre shone as one of the brightest stars of the entire evening.
Hosted by organizer Geoffrey Brown, this one of a kind (and without a doubt, also in a lifetime) gig triggered laughs and tears alike through the infectious electricity generated not only by its presenters but also a most exhilarated crowd. Opening with an exciting yet delicate number by the Chickenshed company, the enticement of its performances (also featuring an exquisite rendition of Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore by an all-male cast) worked in tandem with the impressiveness of the guest appearance – a long, long list whose highlights included legendary actress (and this year’s winner) Dame Maureen Lipman, cabaret performer Michael Twaits and current Minister for Arts Heritage Lord Stephen Parkinson.
However, the biggest cheers were received by somebody who was not there – at least not physically. All the way from Ukraine, in a fun beautiful demonstration that art can serve as the strongest weapon against humanity’s ugliest attempts, Alex Borovensky (leader of the Pro-English troupe) sent his regards in a recording taken from the repurposed (these days, sadly only partially) bomb-shelter where his productions (like Pussycat in Memory of Darkness) take place – accompanied by young 13-year-old actress Kira Mescherskaya.
Going through a remarkably thorough lineup of recognition to every single aspect in theatre-making, the highest points of this season’s accolades encompass such varied artist like drag performer Reuben Kaye in the Cabaret Category for The Butch is Back at the Soho Theatre (his speech probably being the most delightfully diminishing of them all – not just in this ceremony!); previously mentioned Dame Maureen Lipman as Best Solo Performance for Rose at the Park Theatre, shared on this occasion with Joseph Potter for The Poltergeist at the Arcola (our review available on this link); as well as Luke Bayer for Best Lead Peformance in a Musical on Diva: Live From Hell at the Turbine Theatre. This last venue has been blessed twice this time, also winning in the Supporting Performance Category thanks to Michael Mather’s work on But I’m a Cheerleader, obtained in conjuction with Yuki Sutton for Ride, at the Charing Cross.
Almost four hours of ongoing jubilee and emotions running wild led to a genuinely memorable event, where the sense of community and integration took the highest stand. In a time where anything that’s not Maths and money growth seems to be a waste of time for those in charge (as their sense of wealth may just be measured by the number of figures in a bank account), the refreshing feel of such a large group praising the richness of creativity has been nothing but an uplifting push towards a brighter sky, which hopefully will be hovering over us again soon. This vibe of encouragement was pretty much palpable on every discourse: this is to our supporters, to our friends and families, to the producers and all that people that took the risk to make it possible. And also, fuck the Tories. Their words, not mine… (as if).
All pictures credited to Guillermo Nazara.
Learn more about the Off West End Awards on the following link.