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Bears in Space, the Collapsing Horse Theatre Company show that has been revived for a short Irish run before the collective’s first Edinburgh Fringe, is one of the most gratifyingly funny plays you’re likely to see all year. Ploughing through a madcap plot with joke after relentless joke, the piece leaves its audience in stitches without ever becoming gimmicky. This is probably down to the artistic intrigue that comes about from the use of puppetry — had the lines not been delivered by an endearingly tatty old teddy bear or a gruesome looking minion, the humour may have run a little dry. The four-person cast bring life to around a dozen puppets throughout the piece, each with a distinct personality and, usually, a pretty ridiculous accent to boot.

Aaron Heffernan steals the show among delightful performances from all; his voice-acting talents are up there with the likes of Michael Winslow in Police Academy. At one point in the opening night performance, the ageing captain of SS Dandy (a spaceship, of course) stuttered his way into an inexplicable beat-box performance. And why not? Voice is a huge part of this puppet show, and so is music. After a bit of an introduction from our narrator, stencils are passed in front of a torch shone on a white sheet to create a perfectly shoddy opening reel, and the cast burst into a manic theme song made up of unintelligible harmonies — likely the highlight of the whole production.

There are a few fleeting moments of depth and quiet beauty throughout the play. Glimpses of the bears’ romantic pasts, paired with soothing song, make for a well-timed step back from the fast-paced humour of the show. In one of the most far-fetched scenes involving a Gollum-like character played by a Jack Gleeson covered in branches, a ghostly spirit appears for only a few seconds. Made from nothing more than a bit of white chiffon and a couple of torches, this is probably the most impressive puppet of all.

These contrasting scenes lend a lot to the humour when it returns, and never overtake the joyous absurdity of the whole experience. The plot doesn’t extend too far past the play’s subtitle — “Bears that are in Space” — and this is definitely not a complaint. Collapsing Horse know how to make you laugh, and in this show, that’s all they’re aiming for. See Bears in Space if you’re looking for a bit of well-made fun.

Bears in Space runs at the Project Arts Centre until 25 July before heading to the Edinburgh Fringe.