THE Salberg becomes a Cornish wood for this wonderfully imaginative production of Hansel, the play with which Shiona Morton won the 2017 Theatre Fest West Writers’ Prize.

An excellent set, with huge, climbable trees, incorporates the remote cottage of Edith, an eccentric loner who hoards peculiar purchases from car boot sales and items scavenged from skips. She barely tolerates the quarterly visits by her daughter Viv to clear the resultant rubbish in a bid to restore order and normality - qualities that Edith abhors.

Elizabeth Counsell is impressive as Edith, who views a young rough sleeper in the wood as a friend, not the threat that Viv perceives him to be.

Zara Ramm, as the tidy-minded, organised Viv, still harbours memories of her only brother, Paul, who disappeared without trace some years earlier. His locked room is the sole relic of his life in the family. Lee Rufford, as the boy who camps in the wood, offers a measure of companionship that suits Edith - but Viv is disturbed that her mother has given him some of her brother's possessions.

Subtle lighting and evocative sound effects, including woodland birdsong, enhance a memorable production that blends poignancy with practicality, and places invidious strains on personal relationships. The number three has significance throughout.

This truly memorable play is directed by Jo Newman, a former winner of a Regional Young Director award.

It runs until March 24, and is well worth a visit.

STELLA TAYLOR