A CALLINGTON drama group has beaten off opposition from throughout Cornwall to take the top spot at the annual Cornwall One Act Play Festival earlier this month.

Callington Amateur Drama Society (also known as Prim-Raf), which hasn't entered for a number of years, took the overall festival winner's trophy with its production of 'A Life Sentence' — a play written locally by the director Mark Seaman, dealing with the sensitive issue of Dementia within a family.

The group also had three other nominations including best actor, best actress and best director.

Annually the All England Theatre Festival is open to amateur groups, schools and drama groups to perform one act plays, starting with regional festivals.

Callington will now progress to the western quarter finals which will be held this year at Teignmouth on May 9 followed by semi finals at Ferndown, Dorset and the finals in June in Harrogate, Yorkshire.

A spokesperson for Prim-Raf said: 'Entering a festival play brings out the best in acting performance, knowing you are in a competitive situation and positive critiquing from the festival adjudicator helps not only the individual actors but the society as a whole in aiming for ever higher standards.'

The Callington drama group has a long and successful history, being formed in 1949 and was fortunate to purchase its own building for performances some 50 years ago in Biscombes Lane known as The Prim-Raf Theatre.  

For more information on joining go to the website http://www.primraf.com">www.primraf.com