Avenue Q, Theatre Royal Bath
Avenue Q, the music and lyrics of which were written by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, began its life on Broadway in 2003 and made the trip across the Atlantic in 2006 with a few dialogue amendments to accommodate British audiences. As musicals go, it’s different with a capital ’D’. A combination of Sesame Street and the Muppets but definitely for adults, there are seven actors, four of whom operate the puppets with no attempt to hide the puppeteers who speak and sing for the puppets; once you get used to this you find yourself watching the puppets, not the actors!
The cast is a mixture of puppets and humans of a truly weird and wonderful kind including a sex goddess called Lucy the Slut, (a Miss Piggy-like creation), Trekkie Monster who sings a song called "The Internet is for Porn", the hero, Princeton a graduate who is fearful of his future, and a lovable kindergarten assistant called Kate Monster, to mention just a few.
All these colourful people hang out in one of the less salubrious districts of New York, going about the daily business of life, which in their case means addressing the problems of love, homosexual or otherwise, racism, loss, being poor, and wanting to live in the past (the student who doesn’t want to grow up). Having American roots, the show can’t resist a bit of marshmallow sentimentality thrown in for good measure with the exploration of how good it feels to help others, and thereby help oneself.
The actors are multi-talented, and the performance is fast moving. The songs that tie it together have clever and funny lyrics, as well as being quite moving. The band and ensemble help to notch things up a gear and if you can get your head round the concept it’s amusing and appealing. Rachel Jerram (Kate Monster and Lucy the Slut) has a great voice and can be both a convincingly innocent schoolteacher and sexy siren. Jacqueline Tate is brilliant as Christmas Eve, the Japanese wife of Brian, Trekkie Monster despite his less than wholesome hobby is made wonderfully lovable by Chris Thatcher who also plays Nicky and Bear. The show is really impossible to describe or define; you just have to see it. Matthew J Henry deserves a mention for his portrayal of the late Gary Coleman who is parodied in the show.
The packed audience was delighted and full of laughter and so were we. I thoroughly recommend it; however, a word to the wise, don’t take your grandma or your young nephews and nieces, it’s strictly for adults only!
Jacquie Vowles
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