New Found Lands, Lighthouse, Poole

EVERY once in a while there comes a drama providing a humbling means of escape.

Nell Leyshon's Winter, forming the first half of innovative theatre project New Found Lands, did just that. It would have been easy to slip into a romanticised tale of Dorset locals, settled in Newfoundand, in the 1850s struggling to survive. Yet, what emerged from the interaction of widowed mother and her adult daughters was a tale both warm and stark.

Non-indulgent dialogue and a minimalist set sharpened the play into a brisk, historic reality.

This reality did not come at the expense of the hum- anity of the characters.

Act two of the New Found Lands project, Robert Chafe's One Foot Wet, also focused upon family relationships but in a modern setting. Chafe's female lead, Sophie, leaves Can- ada to finish her family tree, arriving in Dorset.

It is implied she is a descendant of the family in the first play.

Self-disciplined acting rendered it both believable and touching.

Particular recognition must go to Maggie Tagney, who played her central roles with versatility.