EACH winter, Buxton touring company Oddsocks comes north for a one-night stand in York, building up a cult following in the process.

Fans of their frenetic, physically adroit farces were drawn to the Joseph Rowntree Theatre on Saturday from Leeds and Scarborough, as well as York, and willingly entered into the spirit by wearing Robin Hood felt hats or growling like a bear to knock Andy Barrow’s Sheriff off his stride.

Oddsocks are – much as the phrase is pretentious – post-modern practitioners of theatre, playing themselves playing a bygone touring troupe of punning-named actors (such Wendy Aneeditby and Oliver Clothesoff) enacting The Adventures Of Robin Hood.

This allows them to provide a running commentary or to react to the moment and, above all, build up camaraderie with the audience from the moment Barrow and co burst on stage to sell programmes.

Writer, director and combative actor Barrow is a natural leader, with a hint of Al Murray about him. His script is equally at home playing around with pantomime conventions, such as having a giant bear appearing behind the cast, and taking pot-shots at Google and Starbucks in his snappy political satire that addresses tax issues and last year’s Plebs controversy.

He has willing partners in this fast-fizzing comedy in Andrew McGillan’s athletic Will Scarlet, Joseph Maudsley’s stilt-walking Little John and Kevin Kemp’s Robin Hood and Pythonesque cheery prisoner Obadiah, while Scarborough-born Louisa Farrant (Marion) makes as much of her towering height as Miranda Hart does on the telly.

Lucy Ward’s folk compositions are a joy and Barrow’s rustic, rickety revolving set adds to the fun of this irresistibly jolly romp.