HAMPSHIRE theatregoers are extremely fortunate to have such a startlingly talented drama company as RAODS.

Six skilled actors and a very creative production team presented Diane Samuels' moving play, based on the true story of Jewish children being forcibly repatriated from Germany to England in 1939 and their subsequent lives.

Atmospheric music, sound effects and lighting, combined with evocative costumes and imaginative skylights, enabled the company to deliver a harrowing yet riveting narrative with impressive professionalism.

Albie Minns' Nazi border official was chilling. Lynda Edwards as the distraught German mother and Beverley Siddle as her anglicised and confused adult daughter were both mesmeric in very demanding roles. As the haunted and terrified young Jewish girl, Kerry Butcher displayed maturity and control in both English and German.

The tricky time-shifts between wartime, post-war and the present were directed seamlessly on the simple set.

This show simmered and sparked with utter professionalism, from the performances to the programme design. Why bother travelling to London with such genuine and outstanding talent on your doorstep?