APPENDIX A - Biographies of PATRON SAINTS Patron Saint of Best Producer SONIA FRIEDMAN Sonia Friedman Productions is a West End

and Broadway theatre producer responsible for some of the most successful theatre productions in London and New York in recent years. Current productions include: The Book of Mormon, Mojo, Ghosts and the upcoming Shakespeare in Love. Twelfth Night and Richard III are also now playing on Broadway. Sonia is a firm believer in the symbiotic relationship between West End theatre and the work that is created on the Fringe. She admires greatly the unrelenting vigour of all those working in Off-West End theatre and is passionate about helping creative talents flourish. Patron Saint of Best Artistic Director DAVID LAN David Lan was born in Cape Town where he trained as an actor. He has written many plays, libretti and translations which have been produced by the Royal Court, the National Theatre, the RSC, the Almeida and many other theatres, and he was writer-inresidence of the Royal Court in 1995-97. He has travelled widely in Africa and written and directed films for BBC TV. He was appointed artistic director of the Young Vic in 2000 where he has directed and/or produced over 150 shows and led the campaign to rebuild the theatre that opened to acclaim in 2006. David chairs the Belarus Free Theatre and is co-director of World Stages. Patron Saint of Best Production MARK GOUCHER Mark Goucher has been an independent producer since 1986. He produced for a number of years on the fringe and in The Edinburgh Festival, first producing in the West End in 1991. He has since then presented nearly 100 shows in the West End and throughout the country. Marks most recent productions include commissioning and producing Yes, Prime Minister for the stage; producing the 1st revival in 35 years of the Broadway classic A Chorus Line, and a new Jeeves and Wooster play adapted from the works of P.G. Wodehouse first produced by Mark for the Edinburgh Festival 20 years ago and now revisited for its West End debut. Mark is passionate about supporting new independent producers and encouraging and supporting Off-West End productions. Patron Saint of Best New Play & Most Promising New Playwright JACK BRADLEY Jack Bradley was Literary Manager at the National Theatre for 12 years - advising on the repertoire for Richard Eyre, Trevor Nunn and Nicholas Hytner and spearheading their

new play policy in the NT Studio. As a dramaturg he has taught and run workshops internationally and has lectured and taught on creative courses throughout Britain. He has remained committed to the development of new playwrights and is an avid follower of trends on the fringe. He is Literary Associate to Sonia Friedman Productions in the West End of London and until recently Associate of the Tricycle Theatre for 5 years where he has curated as dramaturg such projects as The Great Game, The Riots and The Bomb A Partial History. Patron Saint of Best Director RUFUS NORRIS Newly appointed artistic director of The National, Rufus Norris is widely regarded as one of the foremost directors working in British Theatre. His work is wide-ranging and innovative - be it in music theatre, new work, adaptation or established plays - and this breadth of interest and experience makes him uniquely suitable to be a Patron Saint. Patron Saint of Best Lighting PAULE CONSTABLE and DAVID HOWE Paule Constables biog in The Association of Lighting Designers Year Book reads Highly collaborative mother of two with attitude. Paule became a lighting des igner having read English at London University and then fell into the business via the music industry. Early recognition came through her work with Theatre de Complicite. She has won 4 Olivier awards and a Tony for War Horse as well as numerous other awards. She works across genres in theatre, opera and dance. David Howe trained at The Central School of Music and Drama in the early 90's and has since designed and worked on a wide range of productions; Drama, Musicals and Opera in the West End, Europe, Broadway and internationally. He's honoured to join the ranks of the Patron Saints and to be able to support emerging Lighting Designers as they find their feet both artistically and commercially. Patron Saint of Best Sound Designer PAUL ARDITTI Paul has been designing sound for plays and musicals in both the commercial and subsidised theatre sectors for over 25 years. He has so far garnered a Tony, an Evening Standard Award, two Oliviers and three Drama Desk Awards, and is proud to be a founder member of the Association of Sound Designers. He very much hopes that he can be of use to the winner of the Offies' BEST SOUND award. Patron Saint of Best Set Designer BILL BUCKHURST Bill trained as an actor, working for companies including the RSC, Royal Court, Chichester and Propeller. His directing work has been seen on the Fringe, in the West End and on tour and he has worked extensively at Shakespeares Globe. In 2014 he will be directing the Globe's production of King Lear and co-directing Hamlet which will perform in every country in the world over the next two years. He is delighted to be a Patron Saint for the Offies.

Patron Saint of Best Costume Designer NATALIE ABRAHAMI Natalie Abrahami is Associate Director at the Young Vic. Between 2007-12 she was Artistic Director of the Gate Theatre which has thrived on being a springboard for creative talent - Natalie is delighted to be a Patron Saint of the Offies. Patron Saint of Best Choreographer STEPHEN MEAR Described as 'the old-style master of the modern chorus line', Stephens prolific career has taken him in all directions from musical theatre on Broadway and the West End to opera at the ENO, Paris and The Met in New York. He has had the chance to work with some of the best in the business winning recognition as one of the best British choreographers today as well as winning two Olivier Awards, the LA Drama Critics Award and the Helpmann Award in Australia for Best Theatre Choreography. Stephen is very proud to be an Associate Choreographer/Director at the Chichester Festival Theatre and for winning both The Companion Award presented by Sir Paul McCartney at LIPA and The Carl Alan Award, the Oscar of the dance world, for his work in colleges and universities. Stephen is a huge fan of the Offies and is very happy to provide all the support possible to forward the careers of the next generation. Patron Saint of Best Ensemble POLLY TEALE Polly Teale has created a unique body of work as a director and writer that has won audience and critical acclaim with productions transferring to the West End and touring internationally. She is Artistic Director of Shared Experience Theatre and has authored a number of original plays and imaginative stage adaptations including her trilogy of plays inspired by the Brontes. After Mrs Rochester won The Evening Standard award for Best Director and the Time Out award for Best West End production. Her work is rooted in the power of the ensemble and the creative potential of a collective approach to making theatre. Patron Saints of Best Musical Production and Best New Musical NIA JANIS and MATTHEW BYAM SHAW Nia Janis, Matthew Byam Shaw and Nick Salmon, created Playful Productions in the Spring of 2010, specialising in plays in the West End and on tour, and musicals both in the UK and internationally. Playfuls productions include: The Weir (Wyndham's Theatre), The Audience (Gielgud Theatre), Flare Path (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Krapps Last Tape (Duchess Theatre), Red (Broadway) and Enron (Nol Coward Theatre) and the forthcoming Blithe Spirit (Gielgud Theatre, March 2014) and Shrek UK Tour (July 2014). Previous to Playful Productions Nia Janis was the General Manager for Act Productions and prior to that worked at the Royal Court and the Royal Shakespeare Company. She is currently on the board of Paines Plough and has previously served on the boards of Act Productions and Dumbfounded Theatre.

Matthew Byam Shaw has produced new work in partnership with the Bush Theatre, Sheffield Theatres, Royal Court, Donmar Warehouse, Almeida, Hampstead, Lyric Hammersmith, Gate Dublin, Liverpool Playhouse, Chichester Festival Theatre, Bristol Old Vic, RSC and the National Theatre. Many of these productions have moved to the West End including Don Carlos; Humble Boy; Mary Stuart; Boeing-Boeing; Frost/Nixon; A Midsummer Nights Dream; Spring Awakening; Enron; Krapps Last Tape; Hay Fever; Legally Blonde; Yes, Prime Minister; Flare Path; South Downs/The Browning Version; The Audience and Sweeney Todd. New York transfers include Frost/Nixon; Boeing-Boeing; Mary Stuart; Hamlet; Enron; The Pride and Red. Patron Saint of Best Opera NICHOLAS PAYNE Nicholas Payne worked for four of the UKs leading opera companies Welsh National Opera, Opera North, the Royal Opera Covent Garden and English National Opera - during a period of over 30 years. He is now Director of Opera Europa, the professional association of 135 opera houses and festivals, with a remit to provide advice and support to opera companies large and small. Patron Saint of Best TBC (for productions that defy definition) TONI RACKLIN During her tenure at the Barbican, Head of Theatre Toni Racklin has worked closely with leading international directors, choreographers and companies, including Robert Wilson, the late Merce Cunningham, Robert Lepage, Deborah Warner, Peter Brook, Simon McBurney/Complicite, Schaubuhne Berlin, Toneelgroep Amsterdam and the Pina Bausch Company. Her projects have been nominated and won coveted Olivier, Critics Circle, Evening Standard, Time Out and the Peter Brook Empty Space Awards. Alongside many high profile commissions, she has made it her mission to bring a range of innovative, emerging companies to the Barbican, and is very much looking forward to taking this new role supporting the work of Off West End artists. Patron Saint of Best Production for Young People JOHN RETALLACK John is Tutor in Writing for Performance at Ruskin College, Oxford and has been an Associate Artist at Bristol Old Vic since November 2010. From 2001 to 2011, John was the director of Company of Angels which produces new and experimental work for young audiences. He has written a number of plays in recent years including Arlo, Truant, Apples, Risk, Virgins, Ballroom, Sweetpeter, Club Asylum, The Wild Girl, Hannah and Hanna and he also adapted Junk by Melvin Burgess. His plays are published by Oberon and are regularly performed in the UK and Europe. He is delighted to become a Patron Saint so late in his career.