Stepping out from the sepia of an old photograph and faded memories, Geoffrey Pitts narrates the events of the summer of 1921, the year of the fire sky and his 12th birthday in BMDS' latest production, Ian August's 'Missing Celia Rose', directed by Terry Tweed.

Part mystery, part romance, part coming-of-age story, the action centres around the sudden disappearance of Mrs. Celia Rose Richards and her husband's newly-purchased motorcar, the first to be seen in the rural village of Harlan, Georgia.

As Geoffrey the adult recalls that summer and the events leading up to the disappearance, the adults' tangled relationships are slowly revealed. When Geoffrey the child enlists the help of his best friend Taffy to discover the truth of Celia Rose's disappearance, he uncovers community ties quickly unravelling.

Time in the play is not strictly linear. It twists, and skips and curls back on itself, and as the action proceeds at a measured pace, layers are peeled back, and the audience realises all is not as it seems. The world and the people in it are far more complex than we would like to believe, and sinners are victims too.

Geoffrey is aided in his narration by "the three hens of Harlan", Amyrillis, Peonie and Poppie Mae, who cluck and chirp and gossip at the edge of the action. Occasionally they step in to offer commentary on the suspended action, like a freeze-frame, adding comic relief or, from time to time, to help clean up the memory. For memory, as Geoffrey notes, is a funny thing.

The playwright has toyed with the dramatic form itself, so that the action is not broken up into acts and scenes, demarcated by setting changes, but into chapters with headings like "Kisses" and "The Letter" that add to the suspense. Characters step back and forth in time and in and out of the action. Music is an integral part of the play, though the play is not a musical, and the cadence of the dialogue is lyrical.

The language is rich, and dense with imagery; it's almost a shame that it's spoken, for it needs time to be savoured. This is a play well worth reading and re-reading.

Describing Celia Rose, the infatuated Geoffrey takes time to paint the image of her in the front pew of her husband's church, the ribbon of her hat hanging down her back: "She was Sunday, all Sunday, Sunday every day of the week". She was honey cakes and toffee and strawberry, so sweet his teeth ached. And "missing Celia Rose" refers not only to her disappearance but the ache of her loss many years later. There are also lots of quick quips and humorous turns of phrase, aphorisms and maxims. "Don't pay no mind to rumour, as minding rumour don't pay" is one that struck a chord with me.

The central role of Geoffrey Pitts is challenging one, as sometimes he is an adult reminiscing, sometimes a child re-enacting events he doesn't quite understand. The danger of not distinguishing sharply enough between childish innocence and adult reminiscence could give the impression of arrested development, but for the most part Doug Jones makes the leaps competently, his 12-year-old on the cusp of adolescence believable.

The first scene was a little rushed, no doubt because of opening night nerves, and with the strong southern accents, some of the dialogue was lost, but then the actors settled down into their roles, and the poetry of the sentence structure was allowed to follow its natural rhythm.

All the actors were competent, but Khalilah Smith in the title role and Maya Beckles as Taffy stood out particularly. Ms Smith's rich contralto suited her bittersweet role and the tone of the spiritual she sang a cappella, while Ms Beckles' Taffy is a convincingly precocious child.

They were well supported by the rest of the cast who portrayed their complex characters sympathetically against the interesting background of a sepia-toned set.

A clever play competently performed, 'Missing Celia Rose' produced by BMDS at the Daylesford Theatre is well worth seeing. I am looking forward to meeting the playwright next Sunday at 11 a.m. at Daylesford and gaining further insights into a very thoughtful dramatic work.

'Missing Celia Rose' runs until May 23 with no Sunday performances. Tickets, $30, are available at the Daylesford box office an hour before the 8 p.m. curtain time or online at www.express.bm