IN 1990 hundreds of people from children to pensioners joined forces in Bradford on Avon to produce a hugely successful community play.

Now, 16 years on, excitement is mounting again in the town with plans taking shape to make the next play an equal triumph.

The idea is to get as many people involved as possible to perform, design and organise and after an initial meeting attracted about 100 interested people, local writer Stan Hey has come up with an initial draft for the play.

Director John O'Brien, community arts co-ordinator at St Laurence School, said: "I think it's going to be absolutely fantastic. There is real energy and enthusiasm built on what happened in the past.

"Community plays are really good at bringing all aspects of the community together and giving it a focus and a voice.

"The last community play was a major event in Bradford. I wasn't connected to the town then but I did come to see it and thought it was a fantastic piece of theatre."

The original play was called Under the Fish and Over the Water and focused on a 1791 riot in the town but this time Mr O'Brien said the play would concentrate on the future as well as the past.

The idea for this play, which will have about 100 acting roles, takes Bradford from the early Romano-British settlement in about 330AD to the present day and uses the town bridge as a symbol and also a focus for 21st century concerns about traffic, pollution and the future of the town.

Design and acting workshops will take place over the next few months with auditions in the spring and rehearsals starting in June.

The play is due to take place in autumn 2007 in the Wiltshire Music Centre and organisers will have to raise £40,000 to fund it.

Plans for the new community play have brought back happy memories for those involved in the last one.

Moira Forsythe, who was a member of the original steering group, co-ran the research group and acted in the performance said: "It was absolutely brilliant. It took over my life for two years but in a very positive way.

"I made a huge amount of friends and gained an awful lot of knowledge and confidence. I wouldn't have missed it for the world and I'm sure everyone who was involved would say the same."

Margaret Dobson got so involved with the research group last time that she was able to build on what she learnt to write her book Bradford Voices and said she thoroughly enjoyed being involved with the play.

"It was hard work but it was an adventure for everyone as we were all doing things we had never done before," she said.

"It's a wonderful way of drawing the whole town together because so many people can get involved."

Anyone who would like to get involved should contact Mr O'Brien on (01225) 309542 or email john.obrien@st-laurence.wilts.sch.uk