THURROCK Courts Players scooped six awards at this year’s Thurrock Drama Festival.

The Grays-based theatre group entered two plays into the week-long festival, Inspector Drake’s Last Case in the full length category and Home or Away in the one act section.

Home or Away, written and directed by TCP member Michael MacFarlane, was their runaway success, winning Best Original Play, Best Presentation, Best Supporting Actress (Lisa Chapman) and Best Supporting Actor (Mike Jones) and coming runner-up overall.

Michael said: “The awards night was a huge high. I felt so proud hearing my casts names in the nominations and then winning the awards.

“Then there’s all the people who worked frantically behind the scenes, I can’t thank them enough. It just goes to show what a team can do when we all pull together.”

Thurrock Courts Players will be performing this piece again in the Brentwood Drama Festival in September, while rehearsals begin for their next production – the fast-paced and tangled farce Rumours by Neil Simon – which can be seen at the Thameside Theatre, Grays, in October.

More information about productions and the company can be found at www.thurrock courtsplayers.co.uk