John Betjeman always feels like a safe pair of hands. His poems flow, seemingly classic in style, but then broken up by a little twist of humour. Sand in the Sandwiches echoes his poetry – nostalgic without being twee and sentimental, and dashed through with moments of laughter. Hugh Whitmore has written the play to celebrate the life of Betjeman, and he’s judged it perfectly – managing to honour the Poet Laureate without placing him on a pedestal, showing him as a real man, flaws and all.

Not everyone could manage to play this part as Edward Fox does; he is utterly superb. I feel as if he has invited me to join him in his study; telling me his life story over a fire and a bottle of something. At the interval and the end of the play, I find myself slightly surprised by the applause – I have practically forgotten that I am not the only person in the room. Fox has a talent for holding a room spellbound – his portrayal of Betjeman, recalling memories of his youth, work, and poetry – is something rather special to watch. He has clearly immersed himself in Betjeman’s life and work, and this shows in his performance.

My one criticism of the production is the seemingly unnecessary staging of the production. While the costumes and props are wonderfully apt – I particularly enjoy Archibald the bear – the lighting and sound seem slightly contrived, with no real purpose that I can discern. But this is nit-picking; when Fox is in the flow of his monologue, leaping from anecdote to anecdote, interspersed with fragments of Betjeman’s poetry, I don’t really notice these distractions.

This is a lovely play – there’s no other word for it – lovely. If you fancy an evening wandering down memory lane, head to Oxford Playhouse this week.   ★★★★☆    @BookingAround   26^th October 2016

Photo – Geraint Lewis