WHY do we visit the theatre? Is it to be entertained, distracted and amused so that we leave with smiles on our faces and songs in our hearts? Or is theatre, like television, a powerful medium that informs, stimulates debate and allows us to form opinions?

Dreamland, a trilogy of plays presented by the Net Curtains theatre company, certainly achieved the latter as it tore at the heart of the Margate community, and held a mirror to its pretensions, prejudices, urban myths and love of past glory days.

The audience was invited to quiz Theatre Royal manager Art Hewitt, producer Claire Farringdon and the three playwrights, who wrote the evening’s pieces, after the performances on May 24.

James Woolf, whose powerful End of the Line harshly depicted the social effects of the death of the town’s Dreamland and Scenic Railway attractions, came in for criticism. Many were shocked by the swearing, much of which had been ad-libbed. Cllr Mick Tomlinson was first to decry the gritty depiction of his town.

Tim Stimpson, who also writes for BBC Radio Four’s The Archers, delivered a delightful tale of a Thanet councillor who is duped into buying what art experts believe is an undiscovered Turner painting. First Impressions centred on a bumbling but well-meaning councillor who meets patronising art luvvies, scheming journalists and the Margate artist who illustrates their selfishness. Everyone loved this short play and its allusion to the emergence of the multi-million pound Turner Contemporary as boarded-up buildings litter the seafront.

Another comedy, The Bed and Breakfast Burglar, written by Sue Lenier, provided another clever insight into Thanet lore. A young couple, who discover their listed home would be worth £150,000 more if it had development approval, decide the only way to secure the cash is to set fire to their asset. Although well-received this play was criticised for having less of a Margate focus.

First Impressions was the most entertaining with the potential to be expanded to a full-length show. If theatre is to be a catalyst for change, stark plays like End of the Line will shock, create reaction and propel regeneration. A wise woman commented in the queue that night: “The past dies everywhere for us all. The trick is to leave it behind and move on.”