Two men in blue dust coats and one pile of trash equals a load of fun for pretty much everyone.

Chris Peters (UK) and K-Bow (Japan) have a 12-year history of sold-out shows in Canada and Tokyo, plus multiple awards. Performing as Funny Bones, this is the first time they’ve appeared in Adelaide.

Trash is a frenetic mix of physical theatre, mime, silly sound effects and magic tricks. We’ve seen some of it before (balancing hats, sleight-of-hand), but it feels fresh and charming and is so well-executed there are no flat spots.

The crazy antics of these two garbage guys get plenty of laughs from the kids – think whimsical illusions with a dash of Mr Bean. They whizz through the tricks in a rapid progression, sometimes giving away how it’s done, but that’s part of the fun. While all this is happening, the jazzy background music roams from “La Vie en Rose” to “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”, each track with a subtle connection to the action of the moment.

The rubbish pile at the rear of the stage yields props and plenty of ideas for things to try at home. Newspapers, a garbage can, brooms and balloons, sunglasses and soft toys – it’s all put to good use. There’s a smattering of gross-out humour that doesn’t go too far, and lots of non-threatening audience participation (one guy loses his shoe for a while and a small boy is whisked away in a twist on the old “disappearing” illusion). It’s cheesy, good-natured slapstick and the crowd loves it.

Zipping around the stage like bees in a bottle, the exuberant duo really crank it up as the show nears its end, spinning smoke rings that transform into rolls of masking tape, which are then cleverly used in a range of ways. In a crazy finale, two kazoo-voiced characters – a creepy and kooky mix of Butoh crossed with Punch and Judy – twist, turn and tie themselves in knots.

High-energy hijinks for the whole family!

Trash is being presented at the Royal Croquet Club (The Black Box) until March 15.