The Churt Amateur Dramatic Society (CADS) autumn production of Three One-Act Plays promised drama, comedy and murder mystery.

The evening opened with Mobile Phone by Paul King, featuring CADS Juniors Bea Powell, Lexie Ewart, Angelica Birchwood, Bella Smith, Mia Bicknell and Beth Nicholson, with capable directorial debutants Ella Couchman and George Peters.

A serious and thought-provoking play set on a train, the stylised, no-frills delivery concentrated attention on the actors’ skill and the story.

Believable characters worked well together to maintain pace and clarity as their lives intersected, each preoccupied with their mobile phone.

A well-staged train crash saw the actors lurch through and became one with the twisting metal and debris. Strobe lighting was used to good effect.

Afterwards phone screens illuminated one by one as we heard the voices of the crash victims, the voicemails playing out and the stark realisation that these phones would never be answered again. “Phones no longer mobile, frozen.” Congratulations to CADS Juniors, who excelled in this powerful interpretation.

A castaway comedy followed. All By Myself by Robert Scott featured CADS stalwarts, newcomers and juniors.

Seven years alone on an island after a shipwreck have driven Larry to the edge of sanity. James Woodley’s delivery of Larry’s opening monologue captured the audience, plucking at the heartstrings until it dawned on Larry that he may not be alone!

Real - or imagined? - castaway ‘neighbours’, played by Frances Farrell, Dan Couchman, Pauline Colley, Ella Couchman, Jarvis Gray and Cassian Gray, appear one by one, triggering Larry’s emotional rollercoaster, from despair to joy, and paranoia to relief, as he waves them off on their raft of hope.

The cast kept the laughs coming with believable, quirky characters, tight delivery and great comic timing. There was excellent casting and assured direction by Sian Gray and Alex Couchman.

How to get away with a Murder Mystery by Don Zolidis was directed by Paula Fortier in a triumphant CADS debut.

This farcical finale cleverly parodied typical cliches played out in murder mysteries.

Featuring CADS favourites, this play had suave, nimble narrators (Frances Farrell and James Slade), colour-coded suspects - Lady Indigo (Dawn Barrow), Mr Burgundy (Chris Deacon), Agent Orange (Alex Munoz), Off-White (Beth Amero) and Soylent Green (Marianne Neilan) - airtight alibis and eccentric detectives (Viv Raeside, Sabrian Wong and Phil Le Fanu).

The actors took full advantage of the opportunity to exaggerate familiar archetypes, not forgetting Vick Tim (Lexie Ewart), the omnipresent corpse (wannabe murderer), and Jack Irwin as the silent witness.

Swift transitions between vignettes and plentiful plot twists kept the audience on their toes. Comic timing and pace were essential and there were no weak links. A triumph for all on stage and well received by the audience.

This well-balanced programme showcased the talent and creativity of the society’s seasoned performers, newcomers and CADS Juniors, supported by a strong production team led by producer Dawn Barrow. Community theatre thrives on teamwork and passion, and this was abundant.

CADS’ next production will be their pantomime Cinderella on January 30 and 31, and February 1, 6 and 7.

JMW