Belgium, carved out of the Netherlands in 1830, doesn't have a lot going for it politically.

Ever since the summer there hasn't been a government in power because of disagreements between Flemish speakers in the north and French-speaking Walloons in the south - although the silence of politicians doesn't appear to be bothering ordinary people.

Culturally, however, the country has been made famous by such as Thierry Boutsen and Jacky Ickx the racing drivers, Paul Van Himst the footballer, Rene Magritte the surrealist artist, Jacques Brel the singer-songwriter and, last but not least, Georges Remi.

Better known by his pen name, Herge, his Tintin books have sold more than 200m copies world wide. A stage version of one of his later books, Tintin In Tibet, comes to the Alhambra on Tuesday.

The play, Herge's Adventures of Tintin, adapted by Rufus Norris and David Greig, sees Tintin, his dog Snowy - played by an actor without a doggy costume - and the curmudgeonly Captain Haddock battling to rescue their friend Chang, lost in a plane crash in the Himalayas.

Welsh-born Matthew Parish, who plays Tintin, said the story follows a real life drama in Herge's life.

"He was friends with a man called Chang but they lost touch during World War II. Herge was so well-known all over the world that people started to search for this guy.

"A French news agency found him in China and flew him over to Belgium. There is newsreel footage of the meeting," he said.

Herge first started drawing Tintin as a comic strip for a Belgian newspaper in January 1929. News that Steven Spielberg and Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson signed a three-picture deal to bring Tintin to the big screen sparked off a brief row about one of Herge's early books, Tintin in the Congo.

Herge was accused of racism because of the comic depiction of black Africans. More than likely, it was Belgium's brutal imperial rule in the Congo which led critics to make the association with Herge.

Matthew Parish, wary of being set up as a fall guy, said the brouhaha ignored the fact Herge was a 20-year-old assistant on a Catholic magazine when he drew that story and was told what to do. Thirty years later, at the height of his powers, he regretted having drawn those images.

Perhaps that story deterred some people from going to see the play which has had very good reviews.

"In some places it has sold very well. In Richmond we sold out. We did that in Brighton as well. But in other places it has been difficult to get across to some people that the show is for everyone. They have assumed it is a children's show. While it is suitable for children it's okay for adults to come and see it," Matthew said.

Born in Cardiff in 1981, he grew up in Aberdare and moved to London in 2001 to learn the craft at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He graduated in 2004 and since then has appeared in ten plays. He said he was happy with what he had achieved so far.

Tintin has been an eye-opener, partly for the quality of Herge's work which the play's set and costume designers have tried to replicate on stage, and partly for the story line.

"We are having such a good time. As a young bloke it ticks all the boxes - sword fights, a big hydraulic aeroplane fuselage, a dream sequence with six or seven people on bikes, a yeti, live music," he added.

This is what one critic wrote about Tintin: "About twenty years ago I saw Matthew Corbett with Sooty. This play does what he did then. It entertains the children in the audience, yet keeps the adults enthralled.

"It's a new version of the show which was originally presented by the Young Vic and successfully promotes intelligent, accessible theatre for young people Parents will also be pleased to know that this production, as well as being pacey, is not overlong."

  • Herge's Adventures of Tintin is at the Alhambra from November 13-17, starting at 7pm with matinees on the Wednesday and Thursday at 2pm and on the Saturday at 2.30pm. For tickets ring (01274) 432000.