Riverside Studios Announces Winners of 2025 Bitesize Awards
Best writing award went to Sadie Person for play exploring cancel culture
Rodney Black: Who Cares? It's Working is moving on to the Edinburgh Fringe
August 11, 2025
Riverside Studios has announced the winners of the 2025 Bitesize Awards, recognising standout performances from this year’s Bitesize Festival. Now in its sixth edition, the festival ran from 7 July to 3 August at the Hammersmith venue, featuring over 100 short-format shows across theatre, comedy, cabaret, and film, alongside work-in-progress performances and an art exhibition.
The awards, judged by a panel of industry professionals, reflect the festival’s emphasis on showcasing new and independent voices. The award for Best Writing was given to Rodney Black: Who Cares? It's Working, a production by Full Frontal Theatre written by Sadie Pearson and directed by Hen Ryan. The play explores themes of cancel culture and freedom of speech through the story of a controversial comedian whose joke leads to unintended consequences. Ben Willows, Bertie Taylor-Smith, and Merida Beasley starred in the production, which is set to appear at the Edinburgh Fringe later this month.
The runner-up for Best Writing was Happy Ending, written by Cameron Corcoran and performed by Helena Harrison. The play follows the life of Ariel, a former escort reflecting on her experiences in London, and addresses topics such as sexual health, mental wellbeing, and the objectification of sex workers. Directed by Anastasia Bunce, the production will return to Riverside Studios with Corcoran’s new play NOOK later in August.
Clean Slate was named Best Show. Written by Louisa Marshall and Amber Charlie Conroy, the production centres on a woman overwhelmed by domestic responsibilities, with the audience cast as her inattentive partner. The show is scheduled to run at the Edinburgh Fringe throughout August.
Helena Harrison in Happy Ending
The runner-up in this category was Are You Even Indian?, a dance-theatre piece directed by Leigh Toney and performed by Mohit Mathur and Nisha Aaliya. Set in a courtroom, the work explores identity and cultural belonging through a blend of legal drama and interpretive dance.
Are You Even Indian? was runner up in Best Show category
The Best Comedy award went to Arrogant Soft, a play set during a games night in South London that unravels into a series of personal revelations. Written by Alphonso Brown and directed by Elizabeth Ayodele, the production emerged from Riverside’s research and development scheme. The next R&D show, We Can’t Be Friends, is scheduled for 24 August.
Flush, directed by Merle Wheldon and written by April Hope Miller, won Best Directing. Set entirely in a women’s bathroom in a Shoreditch nightclub, the play presents a series of confessions and encounters over the course of one night. It will be performed at the Edinburgh Fringe in the Pleasance Courtyard.
The Technical Award was given to Sunland, a dystopian drama set on a Thai beach resort as an asteroid approaches Earth. Written and designed by Madeline Whitby and directed by Madison Cole, the production features a cast including Isaiah James-Mitchell and Gigi Downey, with sound design by Dan Sinclair.
Best Solo Show was awarded to Door Bitch, written and performed by Poppy Almond. The play follows Daisy Cashew, an aspiring singer who finds herself managing a nightclub at age 18, navigating chaos and ambition in equal measure.
The Bitesize Short Film Festival also recognised several works. Now That You’re Back, directed by Seth-Hope Barnard Chodzko, won the Storytelling Award for its portrayal of two friends reunited after a tragedy. Meow!, directed by Michal Vojtech and Ariel De La Garza, received the Visionary Story Award for its surreal narrative about a toilet attendant searching for her missing cat. The Vanguard Award went to The King of Forks, directed by Raphael Lopez, which follows a humanitarian’s journey through the desert. The Steak, directed by Kiarash Dadgar, received an Honourable Mention.
Rhys Williamson, Head of Programming at Riverside Studios, described the festival as the most exciting edition to date, highlighting the range of performances and the boldness of the artists involved.
For more details about events at the venue or to book tickets, visit the Riverside Studios web site.
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