‘The nurturing of nature is our creed, though some of us are going a bit to seed.” Thus Mikron Theatre introduces the quirky characters in Losing the Plot. Quirky they may be, but Brenda, Bert, Simon, Ruth, and Maud are united in sharing a common love — their allotments.

Unfortunately, however, scatty Maud wouldn’t mind a man to love as well, so no alarm bells ring in her mind when a suitor appears — even though he has a dodgy Italian accent, dresses like a Gestapo officer, and says he’s from the council.

Mikron travels the canal network, and has for long performed in Oxfordshire pub gardens each summer. This year the company celebrates its 40th birthday, and it’s plainly riding high: financially more secure than of late, fresh talent has been hired, and it shows.

Losing the Plot has a sparkling and often witty script from newcomer Deborah McAndrew — including surely the longest, and most complex Mikron musical number ever, The Ballad of the Allotmenteers. This tour de force requires the cast to switch musical styles and accents mid-sing, as it takes a nostalgic look at allotment days of old.

Composer Conrad Nelson is another well-chosen newcomer, and he seamlessly intermixes his own jaunty numbers with old music hall stalwarts. The result is most refreshing. And talking of music hall, writer McAndrew carefully cultivates some Max Miller double entendres — the size of Simon’s courgettes for instance.

This year’s Mikron cast revel in every demand placed on them. Nicholas Coutu-Langmead and Caroline Hallam are new, while Ruth Cataroche and Rob Took return from earlier years. Directed by Adam Sunderland, the quartet plainly find Losing the Plot a pleasure to deliver, so you become really fond of the allotmenteers and their entertaining ways. The door has been left open for a sequel, so here’s hoping.

www.mikron.org.uk