You are invited to an open audition at the Little Theatre, on Wednesday, 2 May, 7.30pm, to cast the plays short-listed for the inaugural new play Festival – Play Write!

From an original entry of over sixty, half-hour plays, the judges have chosen four, to be performed at the Festival, on Friday and Saturday, 20-21 July.

The four plays offer a range of parts for men and women, aged from twenties to fifties. Younger actors are especially wanted.

The plays to be presented, are: Size Zero by Dave Payne, directed by Ray Riches, Stranger by Peter Bird, directed by Vaughan Leslie, Kelsi and Sam by Amelia Stephenson, directed by Jenny Gore, and Going Country by Theresa Sowerby, directed by Katrina Heath.

The plays selected tell contemporary tales of love, obsession and alienation, that will grip and entertain the audience.

The Little Theatre’s new one-act play-writing competition has generated a huge amount of interest, with around 200 individual enquiries, and 5,000 hits on the theatre website, as the story has gone viral. Plays have come in from all over the country, and from as far afield as the United States and New Zealand.

The quality of the entries has been outstanding, hence the decision to produce four plays, rather than the three originally planned. It is hoped there may be opportunities to perform others in the future.

The competition has been judged by a panel of three independent judges, based in the local area, chosen for their knowledge and experience in the theatre: Eileen O’Brien, a well-known TV, stage and film actress; Freda Kelsall, playwright for TV and stage; and Alan Stockdill, actor, writer and director in his own company, Talking Stock Productions.

The judge’s award for the overall winner of the competition will be kept under wraps till Saturday 21 July, the last night of the Festival, and there will be a vote, and a prize, for the audience favourite, each night.

If you would like to be involved in this exciting new venture, come along to the audition, or get in touch with the Festival Organiser, Vaughan Leslie (07415 062810; vaughanleslie@hotmail.com).