Amateur actors from across West Yorkshire will compete in an all-new independent drama festival for one-act plays in Kirklees.

The Kirklees Drama Festival 2003 will be held at Dewsbury Little Theatre, Upper Road, Batley Carr, from February 19 to 21.

The competition forms the only preliminary round of the All England Theatre Festival in West Yorkshire.

Festival organiser Debbie Jennings, of Dewsbury Little Theatre, said: ''We are extremely pleased with the amount of entries for our first year, especially as the majority of entries are from youth groups, which encourages youth drama.

The festival starts each night at 7.15pm.

The final evening of the festival, February 21, finishes with the festival awards ceremony and an announcement on which youth or adult group will go through to the next round of the All England Festival in to be held at the Frazon Theatre, Knaresborough on April 12, 2003.

Tickets for the festival cost £5 per night, or all three nights for £10, to include tea or coffee. Contact Debbie or Nigel on (01274) 865592 or 07980 117834 for tickets.