Circus Hilarious is the kind of circus the kids want to run away with … and the parents run away from.

You really don't want comedy duo Danny Adams and Clive Webb to pull you out of the audience for one of their infamous audience participation sketches – just ask the dad who was press-ganged into the knife-throwing act.

Chained to a wooden fence, you should have heard the squeal he produced as comic Danny threw a knife plum in the centre or his chest. Fortunately it was a plastic one.

Thick and fast come the laughs and slapstick in this fusion of gags, circus acts, music and magic.

Holding the whole evening together are Danny and Clive, most famous for their record-breaking Christmas panto nights at Theatre Royal.

Gone is the glitz and glamour of the festive spectaculars and in comes more of what makes Danny and Clive Britain's brightest clowns – madcap stunts, gags and laughs.

Joining the party are a mad Russian trampoline act, crazy cousin Timoni and his incredible ball walking stunts, a resident rock n roll band and the Circus Hilarious Dancers providing the eye-candy for the dads.

The show is aimed at the family and flits between childish japes that have the kids in hoots of laughter and the risque one liners aimed squarely at their parents.

What they don't skimp on is the quality of the acts and performance.

Danny is by a long stretch the real star of the show, and in Circus Hilarious he gets to show off the abundance of circus talents he possesses.

At one point in the evening he had the audience (and I suspect the theatre management) gasping in horror as he careered round the stage on a six foot high unicycle juggling with flaming torches.

The pace is frenetic but the foot is taken off the gas with the occasional dance routine and song, invariably interrupted by the hilarious Danny in yet another outrageous costume or wielding a bizarre weapon. His attack on one singer with a leaf blower brought tears of laughter from the audience and no doubt a tear to the eye of the unfortunate victim.

It's fast, furious and absolutely hilarious – how this comic pair haven't cracked TV will remain one of life's great mysteries. But then TV's loss is theatreland's gain, let's enjoy it while it lasts.


Circus Hilarious is at the Theatre Royal Newcastle until Saturday. For tickets go to www.theatreroyal.co.uk