A WARMINSTER primary school teacher has beaten nearly 200 entries to be named one of ten winners in an annual playwriting competition.

The Chesil Theatre in Winchester invited playwrights to submit a short play based on or inspired by the life and music of the late David Bowie with the prize of turning the 10 winning scripts into live performances.

Avid fan Scott Carpenter, who teaches at The Minster School, wrote a play which tells the story of a couple in their sixties looking for love on a first date, based on Bowie’s song 'Strangers When We Meet.'

He said: “I became a big fan of David Bowie when I was only around four or five after I watched Labyrinth.

“After being blown away by the film, I went upstairs and discovered my mum’s record collection, which included a few Bowie albums.

“I asked my mum if the man singing was the same man in the film, which she confirmed, and my admiration for him kept on growing ever since then.

“When I saw a Facebook post advertising the competition, I knew I had to enter.

“It was quite tough writing it alongside teaching but I managed to get it done in holidays and weekends.

“I’ve had this idea for a while so it was great being able to link it to one of my favourite songs by one of my greatest idols.

“It was an honour to win and I’m really looking forward to seeing what the theatre does with my script. I’ve never been to that theatre so it will be good fun.”

Mr Carpenter’s play goes on to reveal that the elderly lovers are in fact married, but Alzheimer’s means she no longer recognises her husband, so he decides to take her back to where they first met to stir her memory.

When the teacher was 18, he wrote and staged a play based on another David Bowie song, ‘Teenage Wildlife’, which was performed at The Merlin Theatre in his hometown, Frome.

'Strangers When We Meet’ will be performed at The Chesil Theatre, Winchester on October 8 and 9.