The huge red Virgin balloon rose majestically right behind Oxford Castle courtyard as this Troika production of The Taming of the Shrew began. OK, it wasn't quite in period: the Virgin story began here in Oxfordshire in the 1970s, whereas director Rachel Johnson has set her production a decade earlier. But the balloon was a colourful curtain-raiser nonetheless.

A 1960s setting means that Katherina’s great closing speech on marriage can logically be set in the context of the contemporary feminist movement — it would be giving the game away to reveal exactly how Johnson does this, but it works well. Monica Nash’s Katherina is very much a crisp 1960s girl with attitude, and is well matched with Adam Potterton’s Petruchio (pictured with her). This Petruchio is, I guess, a middle manager of some sort, and has a nasty temper — the moment when he sends his dinner flying on to the floor in disgust is quite frightening. But in a flash he can become movingly tender.

The intimate, domestic nature of Shrew means that the expansive courtyard isn’t the obvious location for the play. Diction is almost universally good and clear, but momentum is inevitably lost when characters have to scamper considerable distances to make their entrances and exits. No wonder that senior men like Gremio (David Guthrie) and Baptista (gold medallion-encrusted Bob Booth) prefer to sit tight and take to the bottle as events unfold.

Meanwhile, Ashley Harvey has a ball as servant Tranio, as does Andrew Tickell playing Hortensio, who plays hilarious court to Camilla Clarke’s cool Bianca.

And no local Shakespeare production would be complete without Polly Mountain (here presenting Biondella as a lively charlady) and Colin Burnie, who leans to the right as he announces himself in sonorous tones as Vincentio of Pisa. This is one of many delightful details in a production that never forgets that Shrew is first and foremost a comedy.

Until June 30. Tickets www.ticketsoxford.com or 01865 305305.