“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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Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove MP, and Shadow Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner MP, will deliver keynote speeches at this year’s Convention of the North, it can be revealed.

The Convention, which will be held in Leeds across two days on 29 February and 1 March, is the North of England’s flagship annual gathering for business, political and civic society leaders. The conferences are spearheaded by Northern partnership network NP11, which brings together local government and private sector leaders.

The high-profile event will provide a platform for public and private sector voices to debate the challenges and opportunities facing the region, across a series of key areas including transport, energy, trade and investment, and health and culture.

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Today, renowned musician, actor, and entertainer Justin Timberlake announces the long awaited European and UK leg of his momentous The Forget Tomorrow World Tour with thirteen new shows in 8 countries. Produced by Live Nation, stops include performances in Poland, Germany, Belgium, the UK, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, and France. Full routing and ticketing details are below.

Additionally, the multi-award-winning artist releases his new track Drown via RCA Records – click HERE to listen. Written by Timberlake, Louis Bell (Taylor Swift, Post Malone), Henry Walter, Amy Allen, Kenyon Dixon and produced by Timberlake Louis Bell, Cirkut (Maroon 5, The Weeknd).

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Little known to many, Colombian born Griselda Blanco amassed a staggering drug empire, in 1970s and 80s Miami – unsuspecting to many around her, and with this, enduring a life of brutality and ambition that would inevitably result in an ascent to power. Supported by her right hand man – Rivi Ayala, Griselda would gain the reputation as the ‘Godmother of the Underworld’. Currently a hit Netflix drama available to stream, her story is dramatised by leading Hollywood star Sofia Vergara, alongside multi-award winning actor Martín Rodriguez who takes on the role of Rivi. Enjoying critical acclaim, Martin tells us more about approaching playing the role, working with the cast and crew and what viewers who haven’t yet watched the show can expect.

Hi Martin! You star in the hit Netflix series Griselda currently available to stream now. What feedback have you received towards the show so far?

We are very happy with the results from the series this year, it was very hard work during the whole year of 2022. It is very exciting because it is something that we did from the heart with Latin American actors featuring Sofia Vergara who was very, very generous with everything that she could be, so yeah, we’re very happy!

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Brazilian theatre company São Paulo make their long-anticipated London debut at Sadler’s Wells Theatre this Spring. Postponed due to the pandemic, was the triple bill worth the wait? For this part-time reviewer the answer is a resolute and lukewarm ‘afraid not’. Although technically brilliant, it is hard to believe that the dance company is at the forefront of the South American contemporary dance scene. The music was often dull, and when more engaging, hardly exciting. This was then paired with dances that failed to be creatively united due to unimaginative staging, uninspired costumes, and predictable choreography.

Courtesy of Camilo Munoz + Iari Davies.

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Iconic rock band Crowded House announce exclusive album launch show at London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire on 13th June 2024. Following the news of their upcoming album, Gravity Stairs, which will be released globally on 31st May on BMG. The show will give fans an exclusive opportunity to hear the album live in its entirety for the first time. Tickets for the show will go on general sale, Friday 23rd February at 9am via LiveNation.co.uk

The announcement of the show and album comes after the band’s recent release of the surprise new single Oh Hi, which debuted last week as the lead single from their forthcoming 8th studio album.

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Cosprop and Kerry Taylor Auctions today announce over 60 iconic costumes from film and TV, as worn by screen legends will go under the hammer in Lights Camera Auction on 5^th March, alongside an online auction, to launch on 22^nd February until 10^th March, featuring film and TV related experiences and celebrity memorabilia.

Treasures from the archives of Cosprop, one of the world’s leading costume houses, founded by Academy & BAFTA award winning costume designer John Bright in 1965, includes a vintage 1950’s Christian Dior taffeta ball gown, worn by Madonna in Evita (1996), Johnny Depp’s costume as Ichabod Crane in the film ‘Sleepy Hollow’, (1999); Colin Firth’s infamous wet shirt from the BBC TV’s drama series Pride & Prejudice (1995), Heath Ledger’s masquerade ball costume from Casanova (2005) and the memorable dress and hooded cape worn by Meryl Streep in The French Lieutenant’s Woman (1981).

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