A man from Ruthin has won a prestigious award at a a regional theatre festival.

Bill Snell has written two plays previously for the Car Boot Theatre Group but decided to enter his third play Loss for the Greater Manchester Drama Festival.

The play was named “best original play” by the festival’s adjudicators.

“I was quietly chuffed, to win the award. The competition was on all week and there were a number of plays, four or five a night. We did Loss on Friday night, ” Bill said.

“I am very honoured and greatly indebted to my Car Boot cast. I’ve written two other plays, a comedy and then a full three act play calle ‘Coward or Hero’ which played a couple of years ago, we raised over £3,000 for Help for Heroes with that.

“This was the first time I’d entered a play for competition and was fortunate enough to win it.

“It’s a play set in the First World War about a couple who had lost one child out there, which puts a strain on the marriage, and their anxieties about their other son. It’s about how they deal with that and what happens to the other son.”

The play which appears alongside comedy Fat Lady sings in Little Grimley can be seen this week end at Theatre Clwyd Saturday night (tonight) £10 and £8 (concessions). Contact the box office on 01352 701521.”