Treading the boards at the 58th annual Harold Jollife One Act Play Festival were seven theatre companies from in and around Swindon.

The Old Town Theatre Company was the overall winner, scooping the Betty Peck Rose Bowl and going through to the next stage to represent Wiltshire in the central divisional final.

The winning play was The Extraordinary Revelation Of Orca The Goldfish, by David Tristram.

The overall winners in the youth section was Pewsey Vale Amateur Dramatic Society Youth Theatre (PVADS) with a production of A Dog's Life, by Pam Valentine.

They also won The Matthew Herring award for technical content. The PVADS seniors notch up their 75th anniversary this year.

Matthew Herring, the technical manager at the Arts Centre, in Old Town, and the organiser of the festival said: "It gives the theatre companies the chance to try out something new and different.

"They get feedback from the adjudicator, which is useful, and this year we involved the audience and this prompted a theatrical debate. ''

Mark Seaman, from BBC Radio Wiltshire won the Evening Advertiser award for the most original production with Leaving Tommy, performed by The Sodbury Players.

Other entries came from Highworth Community Drama and St Joseph's School Youth Group.

The event is run by the Swindon and District Theatre Guild.

Matthew said: "Everyone enjoyed the festival and we hope to make it longer next year."