The Dark Party

This latest offering from The Dirty Brothers is a genre-defying mix of physical comedy, daring exploits and macabre theatre. Costumed as tramps and armed with a truly terrifying array of props from mousetraps to power tools, the Australian three-piece perform stunts and skits ranging from the cleverly absurd to the downright dangerous.

Against a wonderfully mixed soundtrack of old standards and new techno, they mime through stories, narrative set-ups for the punchlines of bodily feats such as stapling props to chest and tongue – and that's one of the tamest. Watching the show produces a visceral reaction not unlike that evoked by Jackass or Fear Factor. The audience can't help but cringe, whoop, and cheer the performers on, an interaction that feels more genuine than any explicit efforts to involve the audience would be.

Yet this is far from a mere rerun of Jackass, presenting many layered elements – at times a Beckett play, a silent film or perhaps a piece of extreme performance art. All three of the Dirty Brothers are gifted physical comedians, often able to induce laughter out of the most grimace-worthy moments. They wisely choose to keep the action close to, but not mixed with, the audience, allowing us to feel gloriously uncomfortable but never awkward or endangered. It's absolutely not for the faint of heart, and many will find it difficult or impossible to watch. But if you're after something dark and different, try it out – it's not often you find a show like this.