After weeks of wet-season rains, the sun shone kindly on this summer’s Shells’ show. In the lush green surroundings of Abberley’s wonderful grounds, the costumes dumb-founded us and the characters be-dazzled us.

Dorothy (Sarah McLoughlin, Alison Garvie, Olivia Shirlaw, Immy Mucklow and Pippa Grimston) developed a wonderful sense of adventure as she gambolled through the Land of Oz. Nothing would divert her from her destiny: not the ear-splitting screech of the Wicked Witch of the West (William Angell-James and Teya Drew), nor the brainless humour of the Scarecrow (William Cornish, Hugo Scott, Oliver Porter and Freddie Hill), the stiff-jointed emptiness of the Tin Man (Joshvun Randhawa, Rosalind Dunn, Bradley America and Archie Lywood) nor the crumpled courage of the Lion (Sam Rose, Rory Wilson and Alex Plowden).

The magical atmosphere of the land ‘beyond the rainbow’ was brilliantly created by the graceful Glinda (Charlotte Phipps and Tertia Rollason), by a nervous bunch of very impish Munchkins (Edward Palmer, George Harris, Fergus Booker, Peter Evans and Natalia Genel), by the extremely irritable Tree (Hugh Armitage), the ludicrously incompetent guards (William Merison and Daniel Garvie) and the over-excitable Monkeys (Megan Prevett, Oliver Perry, William Flower and William Barrell).

Our fears for Dorothy and her motley crew of less than useful friends grew ever greater as their journey along the Yellow Brick Road neared its climax as they approached the Wizard’s Great Palace. But we need not have worried: the Doorman (Charlie Godman) was fast asleep and the great Wizard (Barnaby Wood) turned out to be an over-apologetic hippy.

Well done to Richard Stevens and Henry Oakes for some well-organised stage management and, of course, to the ever-inventive Miss Northwood who once again produced a memorable and enchanting show.