Welcome to the Etties 2025: the awards that care about the shows everyone else misses. We’ve worked with our reviewers to curate a list of gems that prove size isn’t everything. This isn’t a popularity contest; it’s a celebration of the art.
Drama is the beating heart of the fringe. It is where playwrights take their biggest risks, where actors bare their souls just inches from the front row, and where stories that might be “too quiet” or “too bold” for the West End find their perfect, intimate home.
This year, the Best Drama category took us on an emotional odyssey. We witnessed staggering one-person tours de force, high-tension political thrillers, and devastatingly beautiful explorations of human connection. Narrowing this list down to just six finalists was an almost impossible task, but these productions represent the very best of what can be achieved within the four walls of a fringe space.
You can read more about The Etties here. Details of how the winners are to be announced will be shared soon.
Our nominations for Best Drama are:
Open Source Intelligence and Counterinsurgency for the Jobbing Hater @ The Space
With a title as bold as its premise, this production at The Space was a stand-out exploration of rage, identity, and the digital age. Written by and starring Gawa Leung, the play masterfully balanced industry satire with deeply moving drama, following an East Asian actor whose social media obsession spirals into an investigation of intergenerational trauma.
The production was chosen for its fearless blending of mediums, ranging from Shakespearean monologues and Muay Thai to puppetry and anime music. It managed to be both bitingly funny about casting standards and heartbreakingly honest about the Cultural Revolution’s lasting impact on family dynamics. Led by a captivating three-person cast, it was an emotional rollercoaster that felt both intensely specific to the Chinese experience and powerfully universal.
Dick. @ Drayton Arms Theatre
Next to Nothing Productions brought an emotionally raw powerhouse to the Drayton Arms Theatre with Dick., a play that interrogates the self through the lens of lust, love, and desire. Written and directed by Adam Kinneen, the production captured the messy, taboo-laden conversations of young adulthood with staggering authenticity.
The nomination highlights the production’s exceptional ensemble acting, featuring electric chemistry and “unmissable” performances that shifted seamlessly from infuriating arrogance to vulnerable revelations. Set against an early-2000s aesthetic with immersive staging, Dick. proved to be a transfixing experience that lingered long after the lights went down. It is a sophisticated, cohesive piece of drama that perfectly illustrates why fringe theatre is the home of subversive and deeply affecting storytelling.
The Vegan Tigress @ Bread and Roses Theatre
Fringe theatre at its most educational and enchanting, The Vegan Tigress at the Bread and Roses Theatre shone a much-needed spotlight on the forgotten life of Edwardian writer and suffragette Mary De Morgan. Written by Claire Parker, who also delivered a charming lead performance, the play effortlessly wove together De Morgan’s radical real-world convictions with the fantastical elements of her fairy tales.
This production stood out for its sharp, fast-paced writing and the palpable joy of its two-person cast. Edie Campbell was “mesmerising” in her transformations—shifting from a formidable Edwardian ghost to a tiger and a tree with childlike wonder—while Parker’s own turn as a talking turtle provided one of the comedic highlights of the year. The Vegan Tigress was a rare gem that completely removed the audience from the outside world, proving that historical drama can be both deeply relevant and wonderfully bizarre.
Lifers @ Southwark Playhouse
Meticulously crafted and deeply challenging, Lifers by Synergy Theatre Project provided a searing look at the intersection of old age and incarceration. Written by Evan Placey, the play follows Lenny, a 75-year-old prisoner developing dementia, and in doing so, incisively critiques a penal system that often prioritizes punishment over basic human care.
The production was chosen for its unflinching honesty and brilliant ensemble performances, led by Peter Wight’s “excellent” and mercurial portrayal of Lenny. Supported by James Backway’s dual turn as a troubled guard and a traumatised victim, the play balanced dark, “laugh out loud” humour with heart-wrenching ethical dilemmas. Directed by Esther Baker, Lifers succeeded in spotlighting the dehumanization of the vulnerable while forcing the audience to grapple with the complexities of toxic masculinity and personal responsibility.
Overshare @ Greenwich Theatre
Groundbreaking, visceral, and uncomfortably relatable, Overshare at Greenwich Theatre is a masterclass in modern storytelling. Written and performed by Eleanor Hill, the play tackles a young adult’s downward spiral into depression and toxic relationships by presenting the narrative as a series of livestreamed Instagram reels.
The production was selected for its innovative use of technology, masterminded by video designer Matt Powell, which sees Hill performing directly into her phone while the live feed is broadcast on a screen behind her. This “voyeuristic” style perfectly mirrors the social media age, creating a piece of theatre that feels essential for a younger generation. Directed by Lizzie Manwaring, Overshare is more than just a technological marvel; it is a “disturbingly truthful” exploration of mental health that challenges its audience to look beyond the screen.
One Way Out @ Brixton House
Vibrant, uplifting, and urgently relevant, One Way Out at Brixton House served as a powerful tribute to male friendship and the resilience of community. This debut play by Montel Douglas followed four young men in South London on the cusp of their A-levels, navigating the pressures of education, family, and the persistent shadow of racial prejudice.
The production was chosen for its exceptional writing and the raw, “heartbreaking” energy of its cast, who effortlessly moved between playful banter and profound vulnerability. By utilizing an intimate square performance space that placed the audience in the heart of the action, One Way Out fostered a unique dialogue between the performers and the community. It is a stunning example of how fringe theatre can tackle heavy, systemic issues with a contemporary voice that is both subtle and “shocks to the core.”
