If The Comedy of Errors is not the funniest play in the language, then its only rival is probably The Importance of Being Earnest. How astute it is of the Oxford Shakespeare Company, then, to bring out tried and tested productions of both of them for its eagerly awaited summer stint in the lovely gardens at Wadham.

First up is Shakespeare’s farce, in an inventive, rollicking reworking under director Chris Pickles that first delighted audiences in 2004. The multiple misunderstandings that befall two sets of twins — the Antipholuses and their servant Dromios — are presented in high-speed, almost slapstick, fashion.

The seaside postcard vulgarity, which aptly reflects the end-of-the-pier staging, adds an extra element to proceedings, and is clearly captivating youngsters who might have been expecting a more reverent approach to the Bard.

The gaily caparisoned, eight-strong ensemble features — most unusually — only two players as the twins. Howard Gossington, as both Antipholuses, nicely points up distinctions between them with an amusing line in snootiness as the visitor from Syracuse and, as a resident of Ephesus, clearly a spivvy wheeler-dealer in the mould of the goldsmith Angelo (Benjamin Wells) and the merchant Balthasar (Kai Simmons) with whom he is pictured above. Nicholas Chambers presents sympathetic Dromios — both put upon to equal degrees by their masters.

Won’t Mr Pickles be in a — well, pickle — when all four meet, as the denouement demands they do?

In fact, he solves the problem very neatly in a way that adds an extra element of comedy.

With James Lavender offering an hilarious series of drag roles throughout the show, it is left to the excellent Alicia Davies and Alyssa Noble to show the fair sex in more traditional manner as sisters Adriana and Luciana.

Until August 25. 01865 305305 (www.ticketsoxford.

com).