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.
If fringe theatre is the heartbeat of London, then the Camden Fringe is its most electric, unfiltered pulse. Often called the “scrappy, DIY alternative” to Edinburgh, this festival transforms North London every August into a playground for the bold, the bizarre, and the brand new.
What makes Camden so special is its “open access” soul. It’s where a first-time playwright can rub shoulders with a seasoned stand-up, all within the intimate, sometimes sweltering, upper rooms of legendary pubs like the Etcetera Theatre or the Hen & Chickens. But wherever the venue, the quality of work reflects the festival’s two decades of fostering raw talent. From sharp political satire to surrealist clowning, these nominees didn’t just perform; they took over the borough and reminded us why “dangerous” art belongs in small spaces.
You can read more about The Etties here. Winners will be announced during our first ever Instagram Live, details to be announced soon.
Brief Play About Rage @ The Cockpit
A standout of the Camden Fringe 2025, Brief Play About Rage was an intense, “in-yer-face” exploration of repressed anger and British politeness. Written by Deane McElree, the play follows Nell, a woman who has abandoned social filters after witnessing an extreme act of violence, choosing instead to unleash every blunt, shocking thought on her unsuspecting friends.
The production was chosen for its raw power and the dominating performance of Clare Stenning, who balanced explosive rants with a haunting vulnerability. The atmosphere at The Cockpit was heightened by Amelia Callard’s live cello playing, which shifted from soothing to harsh to match the play’s mounting tension. This was a transfixing piece of theatre that dared to ask if being “rude” might actually be the key to emotional freedom.
I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream @ Etcetera Theatre
Visceral, disturbing, and masterfully abstract, this adaptation of Harlan Ellison’s short story at the Etcetera Theatre was a masterclass in psychological horror. Set in a world where a sentient AI tortures the last five remaining humans, the production relied on the audience’s imagination and intense physical performances to bring a century of suffering to life.
The nomination recognizes the production’s creative use of a minimal set, using only a sand-covered floor to symbolize declining sanity, and the “gut-wrenching” multi-role performance by Grace Le Bachelet. Complemented by Ross Barbour’s inhuman, distorted vocal effects as the machine AM, the show achieved a level of tension that was both “unsettling” and “prescient,” proving that even the smallest tech budget can produce high-impact, haunting theatre.
Hot Mess @ Lion and Unicorn Theatre
“Disgustingly glamorous” and hilariously unpredictable, Hot Mess was a “fever dream of chaos” that took the Lion & Unicorn Theatre by storm. A wild fusion of high fashion, burlesque, and grotesque clowning, the show follows a socialite model whose career is flushed away following a very public IBS mishap at the Met Gala.
Written and performed by the “mesmerising” Georgia Polly-Taylor, the production was nominated for its fearless subversion and spectacular physical comedy. From balloon-modelling excrement to bedazzled toilet props, Polly-Taylor commanded the space with a shameless honesty that left audiences in tears of both laughter and “cringe-induced delight.” It was a quintessential Camden Fringe experience: bold, absurd, and unlike anything else on stage this year.
Miss @ Lion and Unicorn Theatre
By turns “shocking, hilarious, and cutting,” MISS at the Lion & Unicorn Theatre delivered a powerful lesson on the acute strain placed on modern educators. Written and performed by Meg Coslett, the play began as a fast-paced school comedy filled with “sketch-like farce” before pivoting into a sobering exploration of the burnout and vulnerability faced by those on the front lines of the classroom.
The production earned its place on the shortlist for its “impressive economy of language” and Coslett’s ability to manipulate the audience’s emotional response, moving from joy to confrontation with “disarming sincerity.” Supported by a versatile ensemble, the play highlighted the hidden struggles of teaching, from special needs support to the impact of county lines drug trafficking, making it an unforgettably authentic “paean” to the profession.
The Upward Journey of a Champagne Bubble @ Etcetera Theatre
A “compelling piece of writing” that seamlessly blended comedy and horror, The Upward Journey of a Champagne Bubble presented a chillingly believable vision of future dating. In this world, young couples must pass a high-stakes examination to be deemed fit for marriage and society, a premise that writer and director Harry Daisley used to dissect wealth, desire, and societal expectations.
The production was nominated for its sharp world-building and “brilliant” acting, particularly the tension-filled dynamic between the young couple (played by Maisie Stalham and Ben Greenwood) and their pompous examiners. Using a “suitcase of tricks” and clever lighting to navigate the claustrophobic setting of the Etcetera Theatre, the show built to a “pivotal ending” that left the audience in audible gasps, marking it as one of the festival’s most shocking and thought-provoking dramas.
You Are What You Eat @ Little Angel Theatre
A fast-paced, high-energy homage to the gritty 70s crime genre, You Are What You Eat brought a stylish “dramatic crime caper” to the Little Angel Theatre. Written by Izaak Hamilton-New, the play follows two naive aspiring detectives who find themselves entangled with a menacing mob boss after taking inspiration from their favorite fictional sleuths.
The production was chosen for its excellent balance of tense Noir drama and “buddy cop” comedy, underpinned by the fantastic chemistry of its lead trio. Director Michelle Allen’s atmospheric staging utilized modular set design and sharp lightning effects to maintain a cinematic momentum. With its “brightly coloured flared trousers,” era-appropriate choreography, and a script that cleverly played with genre tropes, the show was a “thoroughly entertaining adventure” that perfectly captured the spirit of the Camden Fringe.
