Gibbons & Gaulier theatre company uncover the comedy in relationships as they lift the lid on The Affair, their latest tour of north Suffolk

International theatre company Gibbons & Gaulier are taking their 'laugh-a-minute' physical theatre production The Affair on a tour of rural communities.

Gibbons & Gaulier theatre company was founded in 2015 by life partners Amy Gibbons and Samuel

Gaulier, son of great French clown and teacher Philippe Gaulier. Their self-penned new play The Affair has been described as a hilarious and thoroughly uplifting new play about relationships, which has all the ingredients of great comedy - mixing drama with slapstick, vaudeville and clowning with a splash of tragedy.

It's a love story with a twist. Gustavo is a casanova, but he is getting ready to ask a very important question, but not before he has checked everything on his 'to do' list. After Daffadowndilly's arrival, what is supposed to be a romantic evening soon starts to spiral out of control; following a knock on the door all reason turns to mayhem, and all three characters are suddenly grappling for sanity.

The Affair is a timeless comedy that depicts the highs and lows of relationships in an engaging way. Each character brings a different light to the story providing plenty for the audience to relate to and be amused by.

Founder and co-writer Amy Gibbons said: "Our cast for this production will bring a superb combination of classic theatrical styles. With influences from physical theatre master Jacque Lecoq, to Philippe Gaulier's emphasis on the pleasure to play, there is also inspiration from the great Italian form Commedia Dell'arte.

"Claudio Del Toro is coming from Italy to take part in this tour, and we are partnering with his theatre company La Barca dei Soli which brings exciting possibilities of cultural exchange and artistic development. Shea Wojtus is a Canadian actor who has set up residence in London for the last three years, after training at Ecole Philippe Gaulier in Paris, where we all met.

"One of the strongest elements that bring us all together is a love of clown and comedy which will be reflected in the roots of our work."

Amy's partner and co-writer Samuel Gaulier has directed the piece with a view to making a work that celebrates the spirit of clown while mixing it with elements of melodrama. The comedy play is a vaudeville style farce with an original score by James Pearson (artistic director of Ronnie Scott's jazz club) that explores relationships. The story is told using various theatrical styles including clown and a new approach to bouffon.

Both Amy and Samuel teach at Slate Barn Arts in Sweffling which seeks to provide drama and clowning workshops for people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds.

The tour will include stops at Wingfield Barns on November 9 (tickets: 01379 384505), The Seagull Theatre, Lowestoft on November 15 (tickets: 01502 589726) and Halesworth Cut on November 30 (tickets: 0300 3033 211).