THIS first collaboration by Evesham Arts Centre's resident amateur groups enabled the members to show off a huge range of talents.

First and foremost it offered a welcome opportunity for productions of new writing, but the skillls of actors and crew were also fully tested.

Even within the confines of the arts centre's delightful studio space, a tremendous range of lighting and sound effects brought the two one-act plays to life.

Pride of place goes to Mike McVicar for a remarkable debut piece, Being In. This witty and original introspective in which a man is interrogated by his own and others' consciences in a dream-like state, kept the audience gripped.

This was also a credit to a splendid performances by three young actors, Rob Edwards as Billy, Charlotte Horler as the interrogator Public and Daisy Badger as the advocate Beth.

One of the many joys of the play was the way it unravlled slowly; the audience is not spoon-fed, and that is the mark of a clever and courageous writer.

The second piece was Jill Divine's merry romp done as a radio play in which a priest is set up to impersonate Richard III but gets short shrift from a bunch of yobs, yokels and drunks in Cirencester.

Review by STEVE EVANS.