THEATRE REVIEW: Shadowlands - at the Festival Theatre, Malvern, from Monday, April 11 to Saturday, April 16, 2016.

SENSITIVELY and sensibly portrayed, this is a memorably moving love story in which you could easily light the blue touch paper, retire awhile and return later for the full impact.

The relationship between the author, CS Lewis - who gave us the delightful Narnia Chronicles, and Joy Davidman, the divorced American poet who eventually became his wife, was a slow-burner itself at the time but it was the stuff of which the movie moguls in Hollywood dream about.

Originally William Nicholson’s work - set in Fifties Oxford - began life as a BBC drama in 1985. It was adapted four years later for the stage and enjoyed West End success, before another four years elapsed and it became an award-winning film directed by Richard Attenborough which had Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger in the starring roles.

Nicholson’s script makes full use of the highs - and especially the considerable lows, as Lewis questions what game, what experiment God is conducting with us mere mortals, and in the hands of such seasoned professionals as Stephen Boxer, Amanda Ryan and Denis Lill it resonates to the full.

Boxer’s ease of delivery impresses throughout and Ryan too is a powerhouse street-wise American abroad who can hold her own in any company, while Lill slots into the role of likeable Warnie as if wearing one of his favourite old cardigans.

Far from star crossed lovers at first, the ageing Oxford don is so set in his ways her could never be categorised as Juliet’s Romeo but there is similarity to that tale of love in how fate’s fickle finger can create sudden despair.

Lewis lives with his brother Warnie (Major WH Lewis), the pair happily surrounded by a host of male friends and university acquaintances, and activities that would be deemed definitely chauvinistic.

The last thing on his mind is the love of a woman and his love of her, but when Joy arrives on his doorstep after a long-distance correspondence to America covering quite some time those feelings slowly change as two sharp intellectual minds spar for fun.

The catalyst leading to Lewis shrugging off his bachelor life-style occurs when the shadows lengthen at the news of Joy’s terminal illness.

This is a quality and thought-provoking touring revival which proffers considerable sincerity and assists in making any minor blemishes with the script, and the at times unwieldy set, a mere afterthought.

Immensely watchable, the unfolding of events are guaranteed to tug at many heart strings.