On A balmy night at the end of a blistering day, I sat in a beautiful garden in the evening sunshine a glass of chilled white wine in my hand enjoying what is perhaps the funniest play in the language.

Perfection? Not far from it, for here was Oscar Wilde's classic celebration of the inconsequential expertly and confidently presented to exploit every comic possibility of the script sometimes in ways that its creator could not have envisaged.

Some may resent the tampering there has been with a well-loved piece. Myself, I can only applaud director Chris Pickles's far-from-reverential approach, which has overlaid the whole entertainment with a not inappropriate layer of campery.

The style is set from the outset in the louche portrait of Algernon Moncrieff from Christian Edwards. Here, we feel, is a chap who, at the very least, swings both ways for all the pretence he makes of an interest in female pulchritude.

The "Bunburying", of which he speaks with such lip-smacking relish, is clearly something quite different from most people's idea of a suitable country pursuit.

Neatly suggested in their (well-managed) horseplay is the close rapport he clearly has with the stolid John Worthing (Henry Everett); the amorous history there seems pretty obvious.

Next on the scene comes Algy's aunt, Lady Bracknell, who puts us more in mind of Charley's aunt, because she is played by a man. Hardly unprecedented, the device once again works admirably since Lady B is ever a sexless comic grotesque. Here John Brenner excels as the stage dragon, with an explosive coughing fit that provides a welcome alternative to the shrieking incredulity supplied from Edith Evans onwards to the celebrated "A handbag!" line.

More surprising indeed, a first for me is the sight of a man as Miss Prism. Perhaps the casting of Ian Bass is made necessary by the fact that the eight-person ensemble is also offering a fine production of The Taming of the Shrew at the same venue. But it works very well in a raunchy take on the part that certainly puts the wind up that "permanent public temptation" to women, the unmarried Canon Chasuble (Nigel Lister). He, incidentally in a rare slip in what is otherwise a beautifully costumed production is missing the socks that a fusspot such as he would surely be wearing with sandals.

Felicitous touches in this night of non-stop pleasure include Rod Matthew in the traditionally doubled roles of the servants Lane and Merriman. I also rejoiced in the spirited 'argument scene' between the plucky, good-sort Cecily Cardew (Clare Fraenkel) and Gwendolyn Fairfax (Kali Peacock) who is so clearly destined to take after her terrifying mother, Lady B, that you wonder if Jack wouldn't feel safer sticking with Algy...

It runs until August 18.