IT was a winning weekend for two of the county’s acting groups.

Bridgwater Operatic Society and Taunton Thespians were winners at the Rose Bowl Awards Night.

In total the two groups scooped three awards between them, one to Bridgwater Operatic Society and two for Taunton Thespians.

Following an evening of glitz and glamour at the Mercure Hotel, Bristol Grand on Sunday, October 15, Bridgwater Operatic Society are absolutely thrilled to announce that the society won The Bristol Evening Post Award for Best Musical at the prestigious Rosebowl Awards.

Somerset County Gazette:

Their production last May of 42nd Street beat off competition from other groups in Bristol and the West at the amateur theatre’s equivalent of the Oscars.

Director, Brian Epps, commented that he was proud to have worked with the society and a cast which ranked as one of the finest he had been involved with.

In addition to Brian, Tony Pomeroy was the musical director with choreography by Shelley Smith.

Also, Mike Purnell and Maureen Wycherley were nominated for Best Actor and Actress in the same production.

The Society is now hard at work to bring to the Bridgwater public yet another outstanding production, Irving Berlin’s ‘White Christmas’ at The McMillan Theatre Bridgwater from 22 to November 25.

Tickets at £17 with concessions can be obtained from the Box Office on 01278 662181. However, ticket numbers are limited and expected to sell out well before the event.

Online booking is also available at bridgwateros.co.uk The other success for this part of Somerset came courtesy of Taunton Thespians.

The group which is celebrating its 90th birthday, came home from the Rose Bowl Awards Night on Sunday, October 15, with two trophies for their 2017 summer tour of Telling Canterbury Tales.

Jack Ward won the David Higson Award for Best Supporting Actor (Drama) and tour directors Jane Edwards and Nicola Dawson collected the Joan Hawkins Award for the Best Shakespeare, Classic and Restoration Play On the Friday evening, at the Somerset Fellowship of Drama Awards Night, the Thespians were delighted to receive the Champagne Moment Award, also for Telling Canterbury Tales. Overall, the Thespians had ten other awards nominations for last season’s productions.

Thespians’ Chairman Michael Gilbert said: “This was a brilliant finish to a great season.

Well done to all winners and nominees.

Somerset County Gazette:

“We’ve now started our 90th season and we’re all looking forward to our production of Agatha Christie’s classic mystery And Then There Were None at the Brewhouse in November.”

Tickets for And Then There Were None cost £5- £10.

You can read more about the Taunton Thespians’ latest production on page 99 of this week’s Guide.