Physical comedy is hard, but has the advantage that it can cross international boundaries easily; someone falling on their bottom is a universal language, after all.

LIVE MANGA showcases the talents of Japanese comedy duo GABEZ, who turn the stage into a living comic strip for 60 minutes. Not in a Marvel Comics way, but in a Sunday Funnies/the Beano sort of way. Or, to put it slightly differently, LIVE MANGA is an hour of classic slapstick clowning. So, if you’re expecting an hour of Shonen Jump-style action, you may be disappointed. But probably not, as this show is truly funny on the simplest level.

It’s also the sort of show that speaks to your inner child. The humour is so fundamentally simple that it’s impossible not to let it the silliness bypass your brain and go straight to your heart and lungs. You will laugh out loud as the tall one falls over. You’ll chuckle when the shorter one chases the tall one with a baseball bat.

You’ll laugh as you watch a living Tom and Jerry cartoon played out in front of you, and when your brain finally does engage, all it can do is marvel at the incredible skill, timing and physicality involved in making this show work.

There is some level of audience participation, from clapping along to getting invited onstage to settle a debate about who’s right about marching.  Few words are ever used; the duo are adept at communicating beyond language, but the main thing they’re saying is ‘have fun and laugh’.

This is a show for the whole family, and one that is very silly, very charming and frankly unforgettable. Superb physical comedy. Catch it if you can.

You can find out more about GABEZ here.