Avenue Q first arrived on Broadway in 2003 and, the following year, won the Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical. Now, twenty years after its London debut, it returns in a lightly updated production that retains the joy and warmth of the original. While some audience members will no longer know who Gary Coleman is, this Sesame-Street-for-adults show has lost none of its relevance. Its themes of underemployment, self-acceptance, mutual respect and the search for connection feel just as timely now as they did then. Sharp satire is wrapped in the velvet glove of a puppet-show-for-grown-ups and delivered with wit and affection rather than accusation. Songs such as “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist” and “It Sucks to Be Me” continue to land well, presenting uncomfortable truths in a disarmingly approachable way. “The Internet is for Porn!” still earns knowing laughter, while “If You Were Gay” remains both funny and unexpectedly touching. The staging and visual design are particularly strong. The set and projections neatly capture the piece’s cartoon-like quality, and the cast prove to be highly skilled puppeteers. They disappear effortlessly into their personae, making them entirely believable, while Oliver Johnson and Amelia Kinu Muus, as the human characters Brian and Christmas Eve, integrate seamlessly into the world on stage. Like its long-running television inspiration, Avenue Q speaks to the child in everyone without ever being patronising. As both a nostalgic return and a keenly observed piece of musical satire, this revival confirms that the show remains as entertaining and insightful as ever. While many of the characters’ more questionable decisions are mischievously prompted by the Bad Idea Bears, a Good Idea Bear would have no hesitation in recommending this production as thoughtful, feel-good summer entertainment.
Rated: ★★★★
Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by Matt Crocket
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