TWO Appleton women have scooped amateur dramatic awards at a Derbyshire festival.

Playwright Christine Marshall and actress Rachel Priest are celebrating after winning the best comedy and best performance honours at Buxton Fringe Festival after staging A Load of Old Women and a Bit of a Slapper.

And writer Christine hasn't had much time to celebrate the awards as she is currently working on the famous Manchester cobbles of Coronation Street.

The play, which was on at Pyramid earlier this year, is an all-female production and also includes a menagerie of pythons and mynah birds as well as seals and pigs.

The show guarantees you will see your mum and your grandmother at some point during the performance and the stereotypical girl you went to school with will make an appearance.

Twenty-two-year-old Rachel, of Park Crescent, has just finished a drama degree at Edge Hill College and played the lead role of Sandra Buckley.

Rachel, who is working for the Warrington Association for Special Children, said: "I really enjoyed performing in the play and it's been great fun.

"I already had a taste for acting but it's definitely made me want to continue with it and I'm looking forward to some auditions over the next few weeks."

Jelly Shoes, the production company behind A Load of Old Women, is back at Pyramid in September as part of the arts centre's theatre festival where Barking, Burying Stan and Coaching will be back on stage.

Heidi Humphrys