For the past 20 years, theatre company Oddsocks has taken its own brand of The Bard’s classics on the road. The latest was its take on The Comedy Of Errors in the open-air surrounds of Newhaven Fort.

One of Shakespeare’s earlier plays, it tells the story of two sets of identical twins who were accidentally separated at birth. Antipholus of Syracuse and his servant, Dromio of Syracuse, arrive in Ephesus, which turns out to be the home of their twin brothers, Antipholus of Ephesus and his servant, Dromio of Ephesus.

Confusion reigns as a whole host of characters get tangled up in the chaos.

Oddsocks’ production certainly delivered on the family-friendly front. With slapstick and farce by the bucket-load, the addition of pop music such as The Specials’ Ghost Town and House Of Fun by Madness helped break up any monotony in the prose.

A revolving cart used as a stage was a clever way to transform the audience between scenes and the acting remained largely funny, not forced.

With the smell of fish of chips wafting through the air, even those who dislike Shakespeare couldn’t help but enjoy the show.

The only gripe was that due to seating arrangements visibility was a problem. Quite why the movable stage was not at the bottom of a slope rather than parked across it we will never know.

But when the action was visible, it was full of fun – a great mix of classic British literature in classic British seaside surrounds.