NDT shortlisted for Fringe Theatre of The Year

16 December 2021

New Diorama has been shortlisted for Fringe Theatre of the Year!

We've been nominated for Fringe Theatre of The Year 2022 alongside The Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester and London neighbour Theatre503 - FIERCE competition.

Here's what the Stage article said:

The New Diorama celebrated its 10th anniversary this year. Despite the many challenges of the pandemic, it kept doing what it does best: pushing the boundaries of what a fringe theatre can do, finding new ways of making work and – crucially – supporting artists.

Under artistic director and chief executive David Byrne, it has continually looked to reinvent the fringe model and invest in independent artists. In 2021, it took one of its biggest steps yet. It announced the generous and ambitious NDT Broadgate project, a 20,000 sq ft space for making and rehearsing that is available to freelance artists to use for free. To date, it has gifted more than 30,000 hours to artists.

The theatre reopened its newly refurbished building in July and continued to commission devised work, while acting as an insurance safety net to ensure everyone was paid.

In terms of the work, NDT shows Tokyo Rose and Operation Mincemeat, winner of The Stage Debut Award for best composer/lyricist in 2019, transferred to London’s Southwark Playhouse. The War of the Worlds toured the UK, while Civilisation won the jury prize at Dresden’s Fast Forward festival.

The theatre announced that, as the culmination of its 10th-anniversary season, it would provide free food for every audience member every night. This was typical of the NDT model: a generous gesture, designed to make people think about what can be achieved if you continue to question and challenge existing systems and ways of working.

Here's what we said:

'This is a real boost at the close of the toughest year. A theatre is only as good as the artists it works with, the community it serves, and the audiences it attracts. To everyone who made this remarkable year possible, take this moment: you really did all that, you should be so proud.'

Bring on 2022.

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