FROM village halls to The Nuffield theatre, from low budget to blockbuster productions, amateur theatre in Hampshire is alive and well.

This is a fact borne out by the Daily Echo Curtain Call Award judges who will have seen more than 80 shows from last December to this December - the most ever!

Deciding who should be nominated for the coveted awards was no easy task as judges spent a day locked in discussion and debate.

This year, virtually every amateur show in each genre - comedy/comic drama, Shakespeare, drama, musicals, operas and youth productions has been seen by at least two Curtain Call judges, often turning up secretly and unannounced to see the show.

For the first time this year, a new category has been introduced to welcome pantomimes to the Curtain Call Awards.

Curtain Call co-ordinator Tracie Billington-Beardsley said: "It has been a tough decision deciding who should be nominated. The standard this year has again been high both in the performance and production values of many shows."

While the nominations are revealed today, those lucky nominees will have to wait until Friday January 14 to see if their name is inside the golden envelope.

The Curtain Call Awards 2004 will take place at the Winchester Guildhall - a glittering evening that has been hailed as the "Oscars of the south".

For more information please call Jo Richardson on 023 8042 4715.