THEATRE companies all over Wiltshire are being urged to brush up their stage craft to enter the 2018 drama festival.

Following the successful 70th anniversary of the Harold Jolliffe One-Act Play Festival, where Swindon’s Quirky Bird Theatre was the overall winner, organisers are hoping for another bumper crop of plays.

Festival Director, Fenella Harrop, said: “We know how much thought and preparation goes into an entry at HJ1act and we’re very excited to see what our entrants come up with for 2018.”

For years the festival was held in Swindon’s Arts Centre, and named after Swindon’s Chief Librarian and Curator of Swindon Borough Council, Harold Jolliffe. He oversaw the opening of the country’s first dedicated municipal Arts Centre in 1946. The following year the first drama festival was launched.

The drama festival hit the road last year moving to Royal Wootton Bassett and this year it is again on the move, this time to the Bouverie Hall, North Street in Pewsey. Fenella says they aim to get round the whole of Wiltshire in the coming years.

2018’s festival will run from Thursday, March 22 to Saturday, March 24 at 7.15pm.

The Harold Jolliffe One-Act Play Festival is a preliminary, independent round in the All England Theatre Festival and the winners are also eligible for the National Drama Festivals Association British All Winners Festival.

“The standard of acting, direction and technical expertise at our festival is always very high and we know how many wonderfully talented theatre creatives there are here in Swindon and Wiltshire,” said Fenella.

For more details visit www.swindonweb.com/hj1act. Entry pack is available from hj1act@hotmail.com.