This charming play brings to mind Last of the Summer Wine, with three old soldiers planning one last adventure, complete with 200lb stone dog.

Gustave (Michael Hadley), Henri (David Fielder) and Philippe (Christopher Ettridge) are in a sanatorium; as their stories unfold it becomes clear they’ve been there for some time, and will continue to be so, for all their wanting to visit the poplars on the hill.

Gustave is a scion of the highest nobility (according to him) and regards himself as rather superior, especially to poor Henri who is ultimately far more able to cope with life.

He at least can take himself off to the local girls’ school and conduct a somewhat one-sided flirtation with the teacher, whereas Philippe’s faints are occurring more frequently so he can’t go anywhere; and Gustave, for all his protestations about the regime of Sister Madeleine, is quite unable to leave his home of 25 years.

The humour is easy, with some wonderful observations about how important petty things can become in the absence of anything really important to worry about.

These masterful actors are obviously enjoying themselves immensely, and deliver it all with relish.

The set, with its wide open sky, is lovely, with an uncanny ability to transform itself to something altogether darker.

A pretty walled terrace overlooking grassy open fields, changes, as the light dims, into the bunker of their troubled memories, still protecting them from what lies beyond. A real gem of an evening.

It runs until March 20.