The Everything Theatre Fringe Theatre Awards, or Etties for short, are simply our fun round up of the past year. Previously, come the end of the year we’ve asked our reviewers to pick some highlights which we would publish as a round up of the best of the year. But in 2022 we decided we should do things a little differently. And that led us to the Etties.
Obviously we don’t have a team of assessors to go and watch every show, so we aren’t going to pretend these are anything more than a fun way to highlight some of the shows our team have loved in the past year. The shortlists have been put together by looking back at our 4- and 5-star reviews, and then with the help of some of our reviewers, whittling them down to a shortlist. It’s not the most scientific approach but what awards ever are?
We’ll be announcing the winners on Wednesday 18 January as part of our Runn Radio show that evening.
The Man Who Thought He Knew Too Much
Omnibus Theatre, March 2022
I can’t remember the last time I came out of the theatre wanting to book to see the same show again.
Dave Bushe
Project Dictator
New Diorama Theatre, April 2022
Project Dictator was outrageously energetic and terrifyingly audience-inclusive. Given the starting point of talking to artists who live under oppressive regimes, it was both worryingly hilarious and seriously worrying.
Dean Wood
Qrumpet
Camden People’s Theatre, April 2022
Qrumpet draws deeply from the ideas of 20th-century absurdism – at times feeling like an Ionesco for the modern day – and applies them to the weirdest scientific theories of our time
Matt Aldridge
Experiment Human
Cockpit Theatre, July 2022
Experiment Human is an extremely well made, bold, unique, surreal comedy that explores the things that make us human, and what makes us happy.
Aaron-Lee Eyles
Crone
The Hope Theatre, August 2022
The tone is set almost before the first sentence is completed, leaving us laughing at the absurdity of it all.
Rob Warren
Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story
The Pleasance, November 2022
Oh Linus, you extraordinary beast you. This is a magnificent piece of work – whacky, wayward and totally unique. If Diana is looking down now I am certain she’ll be joining in the fun!
Mary Pollard
Winners will be announced on 18 January.
