The Orange Tree's production of The Solid Life of Sugar Water, described as 'brilliantly acted, designed and directed' by critics, has won the prestigious award of Best Production at the 'Offies'.

The Off West End Awards pay tribute to the best independent, alternative and fringe theatre in Greater London and at selected festivals across the country.

Richmond's Orange Tree heralded the achievement saying it was 'so proud of all the wonderful people who were involved in this production'.

The play tells the story of a couple - Alice and Phil - laying bare every messy, painful, hilarious, irritating, delightful, loving detail of their relationship as it bends and shifts to everything life throws at them.

Significantly, while this is not a story about disability, it was originally written in 2015 for Graeae, the company that places deaf and disabled performers at the heart of its practice.

Alice (like the actor who played her, Katie Erich) is deaf, while it is not stated explicitly that Phil is disabled, the actor Adam Fenton has Tourette's.

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The one-act play was written by Jack Thorne, whose CV includes the BBC adaptation of His Dark Materials as well as Skins, This is England and the Covid drama Help, starring Jodie Comer and Stephen Graham.

It was directed by Indiana Lown-Collins, the winner of the 2022 JMK Award for young directors, who won plaudits for her shaping of this 'delicate yet brutally powerful play'.

A delighted Thorne said: "This is beautiful beautiful news. Congrats to the Orange Tree Theatre and everyone involved in the show."

He paid particular tribute to the 'brilliant' Katie Erich, Adam Fenton, Indiana Lown and designer Ica.

The 2023 Offies ceremony was held on Sunday at the Alexandra Palace where more than 50 awards celebrated an exciting range of categories. Over 700 people attended to participate in the first live Offies ceremony since March 2020.

Presenters included Lord Parkinson, Minister for Arts & Heritage, Dame Maureen Lipman, the playwright James Graham, and actors including Sharon D Clarke, Monica Dolan, Louise Jameson and Linda Marlowe.

Director of the Offies, Geoffrey Brown, said: "It was a wonderful ceremony which emphasised the extraordinary innovation and creativity that flourishes across independent theatre.

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"This sector is both the seed-bed for performers, writers and other creatives who will achieve great future recognition, and also the basis for ongoing engagement at the grassroots, creating and fostering the audiences of tomorrow."