Prize haul for Players

One-act drama success

Blairgowrie Players scooped four trophies at the annual Scottish Community Drama Association (SCDA) district Festival of One Act Plays in Birnam.

The young Players won the Stirling Stone for Best Moment of Theatre with their production of Bye Baby Bunting. The Stirling Stone commemorates Bette and George Stirling who were stalwarts of the Blairgowrie Players for many years.

None the Wiser won the Alan Proctor Trophy for third place in the festival and One Good Beating won both the Roy Caterer Quaich for Best Stage presentation and the Sandy Miller Cup as runner-up and now goes forward to the Northern Divisional Final to be held in Orkney over the weekend of March 17 and 18. Around 250 clubs throughout Scotland take part in the national competition every year hoping to reach the next stage.

Following the divisional final in Orkney, the Scottish final will this year be held at Pitlochry Festival Theatre in April and the winner of that goes forward to the British final in Belfast in July. Clubs from Wales, Ireland and England are involved in the same process and each sends a winner to the British final.

The three performances from the Blairgowrie Players are being reprised in Blairgowrie Town Hall on Friday, March 10, at 7pm.

One Good Beating by Linda McLean sees two children lock their father in the coal shed as revenge for the way he treated their late mother and themselves.

None the Wiser by Anthony Booth tells the tale of five nuns enjoying a relaxing afternoon who are suddenly shocked out of their comfort zone by the unexpected arrival of two guests.

Their visitors catapult them into a state of turmoil and many prayers are said for a happy conclusion.

And Bye Baby Bunting by Mark Green is set in January 1839. Seven children are working underground in the Lovers Bridge colliery number four mine when they are trapped by a tunnel collapse.

They bravely comfort each other as they wait for rescue.

Tickets for the Blairgowrie Town Hall show are priced at £10 per person, which includes wine or a soft drink and nibbles, and are available from the Card Gallery on Allan Street in Blairgowrie, telephone 01250 876444, Set and Style on Perth Street, telephone 01250 872850, by emailing blairplayers@btinternet. com or at the door on the night.