“I want OffWestEnd to be not just a pat on the back but a hand to cling onto“

Incoming OffWestEnd director Denholm Spurr dedicates his tenure to transforming opportunities in the sector

OffWestEnd announced its successor at a glittering award ceremony at the Woolwich Works on Sunday 25 February.

Denholm Spurr has been involved with OffWestEnd and The Offies for 12 years, originally serving as an assessor in 2012, before going on to produce both live and cyber ceremonies for the brand.

He’ll be taking over from Geoffrey Brown who recently announced he’ll be stepping down as Director from July this year.

In a speech at the end of the ceremony, Spurr celebrated the outgoing director,’s “tremendous tenure” and named Brown as “a mentor, a friend, and a constant inspiration”.

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The Offies celebrate the best of independent, alternative and fringe theatre – across Greater London and at selected fringe festivals around the UK. Their 2023 ceremony, on the evening of Sunday, 25 February, at the Woolwich Works, gave out over 50 awards across an exciting range of categories and to a hugely diverse range of recipients. Over 850 people attended to participate in the second live Offies ceremony since March 2020.

This year, the winners from 2023 were invited to return to present the awards to this year’s winners, creating a sense of continuity and community.

Other presenters included Linda Marlowe, actor and OffWestEnd Patron, Paul Roseby OBE, Director, National Youth Theatre, Ronnie Le Drew, Puppeteer and President of the British Puppet and Model Theatre Guild, Wayne Harrison, freelance director, Duncan Lustig-Prean, Chair, Brighton Fringe, and senior staff from the Vault, Camden, Greater Manchester and Edinburgh fringe festivals.  The Woolwich Works was represented by their Director, Nick Williams, and representatives from the Southbank Centre and the Barbican also presented awards.  Sponsors of this year’s awards included Mischief Worldwide, White Light, Prodermis, Concord Theatricals and Tarento Productions.

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Eva Bindeman was awarded the prestigious title of Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year 2024 at The Y Theatre in Leicester on 24 February, as part of Leicester Comedy Festival. Hosted by past contestant, Sindhu Vee and featuring last year’s winner Daniel Petrie.

The competition saw eight of the best emerging comedy acts in the country battling it out for the crown after performing their best seven minutes in front of an esteemed comedy industry panel and a sold-out audience.  The other contestants this year were: Alasdair Wallace, Alex Bertulis-Fernandes, Blank Peng, Fiona Ridgewell, Henry Michael, Julia Stenton and Romina Puma.

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