The 2013 awards saw the Best Lighting Designer category supported by leading entertainment lighting supplier White Light, a counterpoint to the company's support for both the Whatsonstage.com awards presented earlier in February and the Olivier Awards coming soon and reflecting White Light's aim to support productions of all types and scales.
Richard Howell took the prize for The Hairy Ape at the Southwark Playhouse, about which The Guardian newspaper commented "brilliant lighting from Richard Howell (an endless riff on the theme of light and dark) makes this a hugely visceral experience - like something conceived as an endlessly shifting painting".
Howell's fellow nominees in the category were Ben Pacey for Autobiographer at the Toynbee Studios, and Nicholas Holdridge for Events While Guarding The Bofors Gun at the Finborough Theatre.
In the other design categories, James Turner won Best Set for Mercury Fur at the Old Red Lion Theatre, Kingsley Hall collected Best Costume for Goodnight Mrs Calabash at Upstairs At The Gatehouse, and Melanie Wilson took Best Sound for Autobiographer at the Toynbee Studios. The award for best production went to Uncle Vanya at the Print Room. A full list of winners and nominees can be found at www.offwestend.com.
The Offies (Off West End Theatre Awards) cover a calendar year, with the winners announced in the spring of the following year. The awards are intended to raise the profile and status of independent theatres in London, work continued through the year by the OffWestEnd.com website. During 2012, the Offies assessed 340 shows across 86 venues leading up to the award presentation on February 24th.
"The Offies do a great job in recognising that there is so much more to London theatre than just the West End and the big subsidised companies - something we know at White Light through helping many of those productions source the lighting gear they need often on the tightest of budgets," comments Craig Bennett, White Light's hire business development manager. "They also do a great job of celebrating: the awards show was one of the best ceremonies we've been to!"
(Jim Evans)
