WITH their biennial one-act play festival, Congleton Players aim to uncover the Ayckbourns and Godbers of tomorrow.

And the competition has certainly caught the imagination of aspiring playwrights.

Last year more than 150 pieces were submitted, and the contest has attracted entries from the USA, Australia, Israel and Cyprus, as well as from several parts of the UK.

The shortlisted plays and the outright winner are performed by the company, but that usually leaves dozens of interesting plays that don't get produced.

Now that's going to change, as the Players have decided to stage a "best of the rest" festival next year.

The Players' Brenda Conway says: "This will simply be a celebration of well-written plays that will be well produced, well directed, well staged and well acted.

"Because of the high quality of the submissions we received, read, critiqued and agonised over, we feel that some of the plays which didn't make the shortlist deserve recognition too."

Last year, David Muncaster's play, Mission Impossible, was judged overall winner.

The dramatist, who lives in Sandbach, said: "I think it's an excellent idea to produce some of the other plays because I know how incredibly difficult it can be to choose when there are so many worthy entries.

"I was delighted when my own play was judged the winner, and I thought the director and actors did an absolutely brilliant job in bringing it to the stage.

"I wish the panel well in starting again and picking the best of the non-shortlisted plays to produce next year."

A selection of the plays that failed to make the original shortlist will be staged before the next open competition in 2011.

Brenda says: "The best of the rest festival will take place on June 11, 2011, at the Daneside Theatre before our next open competition, and the writers whose plays have been chosen will be informed personally."

The Players say details of the 2011 competition – 4 More One-Act Plays – will be announced on its website.

Meantime, the message to potential contenders is to be creative, get inspired and start writing.