Review by Ciara
Tickets were gifted in return for an honest review.
Avenue Q - Funny, Rude puppets with a capital F. A great show for people trying to find their way in the world. It also embraces tackling subjects including sexuality and race in a really light and silly way. The 3-time Tony Award-winning puppet musical returns to the West End with a new production at London's Shaftesbury Theatre.
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| Photo by Matt Crockett. |
I had previously seen the UK touring production and was reminded just how brilliant this show is. A standout is 'Mix Tape' sung by Kate Monster (Emily Benjamin) and Princeton (Noah Harrison). I think every girl who has ever loved anyone can relate to the heartbreak Kate Monster goes through.
The set by Anna Louizos is full of colour and bright light and showcases the different houses on Avenue Q, a borough of New York. The use of screens that come down helps illustrate words and scenes, which in turn drives the action. It's a great way of being inclusive and accessible for the audience, also.
There have been a few script updates and changes in this new production. This helps keep it modern and fresh for a 2026 audience. There are jokes about Trump and about ChatGPT, which cleverly have the audience laughing.
The genius of the show is the cast and their marvellous puppetry work. The delivery is so clever and the movement is slick and polished. The company must have worked so hard in rehearsals because their hard work really paid off on stage. The facial expressions of each character and on-stage drive the story and the humour forward. There are numerous laugh-out-loud moments for an audience. With everything going on in the world right now, everyone needs a couple of hours of joy and laughter and this show is sheer joy.
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| Photo by Matt Crockett. |
I would tell everyone to go and see it and would describe it as Sesame Street meets The Muppets but with a bit of tongue-in-cheek rudeness! An unmissable return to the West End.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Avenue Q is booking at Shaftesbury Theatre until 29th August. Tickets are available from https://avenueqmusical.co.uk/
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| Photo by Matt Crockett. |
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