‘There are monsters everywhere!’ gleefully intones Mr Bunk into a colour changing torch uplighting his face at the top of his show. Mr Bunk, aka Jeff Achtem, is a properly charming performer, with whom it’s a pleasure to spend an hour. As he leaps, runs, trips and laughs around the stage operating his homemade shadow puppetry machines (including a brilliantly simple projecting book and pleasingly adapted smoke machine) his enthusiasm and glee are completely infectious.

The show, like its predecessor, 2012 Total Theatre Award Winner Swamp Juice, is a celebration of puppetry’s low-tech magic, demonstrated in the hands of a master. With a distinct nod to Star Wars and a comic book aesthetic, the story follows two brothers on their rocket-powered quest to find a new planet to call home. Coat hangers, cardboard and fluff are all animated by a vivid spirit of invention in a joyful piece of storytelling that appeals to adults as well as children: audience participation is managed with aplomb and when Achtem invites one audience member up to ‘come play’ the offer is immediately and warmly accepted. The show succeeds in creating a sense of shared involvement, of complicity, with the audience, effortlessly. There were a few narrative steps I missed, such as why the alien animals were able to save the day, and the occasional moment when a scene seems overlong in its desire to show off a puppet’s particular function rather than driving the story on – an impulse common to many puppeteer-makers.

Achtem conjures theatrical effects, including shadows in 3D, effortlessly and joyfully, and all are presented with an open hand so we can marvel at the inventiveness that transforms his bits of cloth, card and plastic into clear expressive images on stage. It’s a wonderful introduction to the magic of puppetry and, even if the ending lacks some of the wow factor of previous effects (perhaps because we can’t see it being made?) this is a hugely enjoyable hour of theatrical adventure.