The Off West End Theatre Awards, nicknamed The Offies, were launched in 2010 to recognise and celebrate excellence, innovation and ingenuity of independent Off West End theatres across London.
Over 80 theatres participate in the awards, with more than 400 productions being considered annually by a team of 40 assessors, with the winners chosen by a select panel of critics.
[2][3] The first-ever award ceremony for The Offies was held on 27 February 2011 with Simon Callow hosting the event.
[4] The aim of the awards is to help raise the profile and status of independent theatres in London by rewarding productions not eligible for the Society of London Theatre-Laurence Olivier Awards.
[7] In 2017, Geoffrey Brown replaced Sofie and Diana as director.