Zip, Zap, Boing was one of a number of quick-fire games played last night in the first of this year's oneACTS festival auditions.

The games formed part of a group workshop session at the cornerHOUSE arts centre in Douglas Road, Surbiton, and will be repeated again in the second day of auditions on Sunday.

Along with the workshops, excerpts of the plays, which will form part of April's week-long festival of original playwriting, also had read-throughs.

"It was all good fun," said Les Hewett, who was one of more than 20 people who auditioned yesterday.

"Everyone entered into the spirit of the thing, and worked really well together.

"I think the casting panel was rather amused by my attempt at a Liverpudlian accent though - it sounded like a cross between Australian and American rather than Scouse."

Tanju Duncan, who lead the audition, said it was all about play.

"During the workshops and improvisation it was about getting them to relax, having fun, playing, seeing what their reactions were, and how they responded to certain situations," she said.

"Then in the read-throughs, we played around with different styles and techniques to see how versatile they were.

"It gives the directors and the casting panel a good idea of what people can do in certain roles and what their potential is."

There are nine plays which need casts in this year's oneACTS which runs from April 4-9.

"We've got lots of parts to find actors for, and lots of different roles for all ages," said the chairman of the oneACTS festival, Jon Constant.

"We've also got a range of plays, so there are plenty of parts for actors who like comedy, drama, tragedy or thrillers.

"The plays are only 15 to 30 minutes long, which means that it’s a great opportunity to be involved in a show without a heavy time commitment, but you will still be able to enjoy the buzz of being part of a large, dynamic team of playwrights, directors, actors and crew, all working towards providing a week-long feast of original, quality-driven entertainment.

"You don't have to be an experienced actor to perform, there are plenty of parts for people who are novices too.

"It's all good fun, all you need to bring with you is enthusiasm and a willingness to have a go."

The next audition takes place on Sunday at 2pm. Call 020 8296 9012 or visit thecornerhouse.org.