Captain Oates’ Left Sock is an anarchic comedy written in the 1960s that asks questions that still drive us mad today.

It centres on a group that has gathered for therapy. There is sex-obsessed David, Juliet, who wants to be punished, fidgety Carter, and Celia, who is only trying to help. Through suicide, slander and sly liaisons in the garden, they try to make each other well – or perhaps, use each other to feel better about themselves. And sitting silently in the corner is Doctor Parks. He may not believe in a cure, but he is sure his methods are sound. 

Staged in a promenade style setting, Captain Oates’ Left Sock asks can others help us to help ourselves? Who is really sick? Is anyone in charge around here? And most importantly, who stole Celia’s slip from the laundry room? 

John Antrobus, who wrote Captain Oates’ Left Sock in 1969, is one of the great BBC comedy writers of the last 50 years whose writing credits include episodes of The Goon Show and several other series with Spike Milligan. He also wrote for comedy greats Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, The Two Ronnies, Tony Hancock and Peter Sellars. His stage plays include When Did You Last See my Trousers? and Steptoe And Son In Murder At Oil Drum Lane, both of which ran in the West End.