Sometimes something reminds you what a joy it is to live in a small community, and Curtain Up’s latest production did just that.

In Cheryl May’s comedy Free for Hall at Freshwater Memorial Hall, we are privy to the rehearsals of an amateur dramatic society’s pantomime in the local village hall.

But the cast hasn’t learnt their lines, nor their dance moves, and on top of that the hall has been triple-booked. What could possibly go right? Not a lot, it transpires.

Bell-ringing practice takes place anyway – the bell ringers are also in the panto of course so just set themselves up on stage, to the frustration of the director Julian (played masterfully by Graham Andrews).

But it is the far-from-celestial yoga teacher Celeste (Sheren Sadler-Ward) whose one-woman lotus-position protest causes most chaos, as the cast are forced to work round her.

Naturally any existing tension between performers rises under pressure.

Lewis Pavey as George brings the pettifogging rules and regulations of the Village Hall Committee delightfully to life, and the ever-larger glass accompanying stage manager Harriet suggests she’s found her own way to deal with it.

A play within a play may be a tried and tested devise but it isn’t easy to pull off.

Cheryl May, who also played Marion, does it with aplomb, and also uses her creation to celebrate the art of pantomime.

Her localised take on a traditional panto gag, performed by Lewis Pavey and Elaine Smith, was a delight.

But among the many belly-laughs, the largest was the apparently chaotic but beautifully choreographed song If I Were Not Upon The Stage when the cast, led by the lugubrious Frank (Geoff Kirk) mused individually and in an ever-building line-up, on what they’d rather be doing.

The combination of poker-faced self-seriousness with daft and near-slapstick actions was comedy at its best.

The production, directed by Geoff Kirk (who stepped into the role of Frank at the 11th hour) raised money for local charities: £350 from the raffle, organised by Pam Everson, for IW PSA, which supports blood testing events to check for prostate cancer; £30 from refreshments for Tennyson Townswomen’s Guild, and donations will go to small local groups.

Cheryl is stepping down as chair of Curtain Up to give more time to her many other pursuits.