The Off West End awards, hosted at the Westminster Hall last month, recognised Waltham Forest theatre production Bog Witch, writes Mina Hanson
This year’s Offies welcomed in aficionados from far and wide, all collectively with a love of the on stage. The Off West End awards celebrates independent theatre across London, this year marking its 20th birthday of celebrating fresh and creative new works across London.
Hosted in the impressive Westminster Hall, the atmosphere was positively brimming with excitement the moment you stepped through the grand entrance. Guests spilled in, dressed in their finery, some glittery, some in eye-catching colours, fitting for the dramatic event and perfect for the theatrical nature of the night.
The show kicked off after seven, with RuPaul’s Drag Race alum and singer Divina de Campo bringing the runway to Westminster in her chic blue pantsuit and bold, extravagantly big red hair, kicking off the night with a Chicago parody opening number that ended impressively with the splits to a roaring applause, and this set the tone for the rest of the night.
The night covered eight categories of theatre: production, performance, design, sound and music, staging, creation, industry, and inclusion and innovation.
The last mentioned category is where our very own Waltham Forest in East London came into play at the Offies.
Writer and director Bryony Kimmings’ stage production Bog Witch debuted on Waltham Forest soil at the Soho Theatre Walthamstow in 2025, and as such, the production was nominated for Innovation.
Bog Witch, a semi-autobiographical story of Kimmings uprooting her consumerist lifestyle and attempting to start an ecofarm in a search for meaning and finding self-discovery.
The production has been praised for its wildly entertaining take of rebirth, with a surprise ending that one can only see to fully enjoy, check out 2026 dates here. The nomination has truly put her innovative production in league with other top productions, and simultaneously cemented the Soho Theatre Walthamstow as a theatre to watch, showcasing some of the best creative shows London theatre has to offer.
While Bog Witch did not win this time round, losing out to Khadija Raza, Malakaï Sargeant, Will Monk, blackbird hour, and Oli Savage, The Lost Library of Leake Street / The Glitch. The nomination has undoubtedly made waves for Bryony and her growing body of work and the Soho Theatre.
Soho Theatre Walthamstow recently opened last year in 2025 but has been through a multitude of changes, such as a Victoria Music Hall in Hoe Street when it was first opened in 1887, hosting dances, concerts, and theatre performances, and in 2003, purchased with the intention to become a church, which in the end never came to fruition.
The rest of the award show night was filled with performances by nominees and presenters alike, such as Netflix France’s Ilan Evans. The winners accepted their cube-shaped award on stage and photographed, and a true professional, De Campo effortlessly kept the vibe of the night light, fun, and filled with giggles and belly laughs, with her quick wit and natural interaction with the audience and presenters, sprinkling perfectly timed humour throughout the structure of the night.
The Off West Awards has served to bring together a home for independent theatre creatives from all backgrounds, with just one key requirement: a keenness and passion for theatre and creative freedom and flexibility.
Over the years, it has recognised stars such as Fleabag’s Phoebe Waller-Bridge and triple Olivier Award winner and Cranford cast member Eileen Atkins, and provided an outlet for the multitude of talent London has to offer.
The Offies has proven that London’s creative scene continues to grow in popularity across all its boroughs, which is truly a testament to the emerging talent that can be found around the capital, particularly in our very own Waltham Forest.
Check out more local events in Waltham Forest, and have a look at what Soho Theatre Walthamstow has on right now
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