"This is very midsummer madness.” This observation by Olivia (Keri Penford Baker) on the yellow-stockinged antics of Malvolio (Matthew Gibbs) seemed apposite, too, for the situation I was in watching them. Bottom numbed by an unforgiving seat of straw bales in the Pleasure [sic] Gardens at Blenheim Palace, cold wind howling, rain spattering my umbrella — was this a sane way to spend an evening?

Fortunately, there were rich rewards in this lucid, straightforward version of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night — one of two productions of the play (different casts, different directors) staged night and night about by students at the Oxford School of Drama.

The cast I saw, under director Naomi Jones, was particularly strong where the women were concerned. Besides an Olivia of suitable serenity from Ms Penford Baker, we were offered a warm and winning Viola from Leonie Spilsbury (pictured with Jason Devoy’s Orsino), a brightly confident Maria from Anna Wheatley and a chirpy, tuneful Feste from Eva Tausig.

Oddly cast in the male role of Andrew Aguecheek, Aoibhéann McCann was hardly likely to convince as the milksop knight. She nevertheless had her moments, especially during the gulling of Malvolio (pictured) with Matthew Huggett’s raffish Sir Toby Belch and Paul Cleveland’s clear-voiced Fabian. There was much fun, too, when the conspirators fell foul of Viola’s twin Sebastian (Christopher Jamieson).

I learned as I left that showers had troubled each performance of the play. Feste’s closing song notes: “The rain it raineth every day.” OSD can’t say it wasn’t warned.

Performances at 7pm continue until Sunday.