Ref. 12399/2MALMESBURY drama group the Athelstan Players have won an acting competition in Swindon for the first time in six years.

Their performance of Heroes and Heroines by John Reason wowed judges at the Harold Jolliffe One-Act Play Festival in Swindon last week.

The Players, which was established in the 1950s, was presented with the Betty Peck Rose bowl by Swindon Mayor Derek Benfield on Monday after beating off stiff competition from other groups in Wiltshire.

Director of the play Christine Mace said: "We were just thrilled to bits to win, everybody worked very hard to make the play a success. It was a real team effort.

"When I collected the award from the mayor of Swindon he said he had enjoyed the play and thought we were going to win."

It is only the second time in their history they have they won the competition and will now go on to compete in Cirencester on April 3 in the next round of the competition, which ends with the national final in Aberystwyth in June if they are successful.

Mrs Mace said the group had done nothing different in their preparation this year but their interpretation of the play based on a film club had worked well.

"I chose the play because I liked the way I could bring out the different characters and I wanted to do it in black and white, everything in black and white, like an old movie and I think it works," she said.