Throughout the summer months the parks and college gardens of Oxford seem to overflow with dynamic and often spectacular open-air drama. Such an embarrassment of theatrical riches make it even more extraordinary to come across a production as strikingly outstanding as the Oxford Shakespeare Company's Cyrano de Bergerac which opened on Monday evening in Wadham College gardens.

A story perhaps best known from the film starring Gerard Depardieu, Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac is a truly epic work. Spanning a period of more than fifteen years, the action moves from theatre to battlefield and finally to its conclusion within the cloistered walls of a convent garden - a wide-ranging scope which cannot help but present serious challenges to any company staging it. The fact that the Oxford Shakespeare Company pull off their generous and absorbing production with only twelve players is tribute to the skill and imagination of the actors and of director, Sarah Davey.

The arriving audience is drawn instantly into the production by the presence of actors milling around in the garden making enthusiastic preparations for the ensuing performance. Such effective exploitation of the unconventional space continues throughout the evening - in particular the battlefield of the siege of Arras in Act IV is viscerally evoked by immensely loud explosions erupting out of the darkening air and the echoing of distant drums from the furthest reaches of the garden. The balance, however, is finely struck and the players never fall into the trap of becoming so excessively enamoured with the outdoor setting that intimacy is sacrificed in favour of exuberant cavorting and dramatic pyrotechnics. Perfectly paced, the action flows smoothly from ensemble piece to love scene to farce taking every advantage of the changing natural light, the balcony scene between Cyrano, Roxanne and Christian occurring just as the light of day begins to fade into twilight.

Epic drama, touching intimacy, lyrical love scenes and terrific humour are all present in this beautifully cast production. Phillippe Spall makes an immensely charismatic and appealing Cyrano and the rest of the company match his high standard, with an especially entertaining performance from Claire Wyatt as the pastry chef Raguenau. Though sparse, the set too is clever and imaginative, a particular highlight being the fairytale gingerbread coach that brings Roxanne across the battle lines. Swashbuckling swordsmanship and the fresh rapier dialogue of Christopher Fry's version of the text make this a hugely enjoyable evening. Bring a blanket (or rent one for 50p when you arrive), brave the chill and go along - it is impossible not to be drawn into this extraordinary performance.

Catherine Kernot, 26.07.04