AN Amateur Dramatic group has won an acting competition and has made their way into the next round.

The Athelstan Players from Malmesbury performed against six other groups at Harold Jolliffe One Act Play Festival in Pewsey on Saturday (March 24), coming out on top. They have secured themselves a place in the quarter-finals at Weymouth on April 7 with their play Dig for the Diggers by Lynne Brittney.

As well moving onto the second round, members Bob Charman won Best Actor, Megan Mills won Best Supporting Actress and Christine Mace won Best Director.

Dig for Diggers is based on the finding, exhumation, forensic DNA wok and reburial of 250 Australian and British World War One soldiers who died in the Battle of Fromelles. The community came together to research the play and get everything as accurate as possible.

Director Christine Mace, said: "We have been rehearsing the play for the past eight weeks in our club room ready for the festival. David Shelley who made the war memorial researched the battle of Fromelles to get it as accurate as possible. Sue Poole also researched all the costumes, the World War One soldier and the Scientists, also Tracy Bridgeman's 1917 costume.

"It is very significant that it is 100 years since World War One that makes this play so moving. We are all thrilled to be going on to the Southern and Mercia Divisions Quarter Finals in Weymouth on April 7."