The cast of Avenue Q UK Tour
Venue: Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
Performance Date: 22 July 2019
Star Rating: ★★★★
If you are easily offended or take issue with a bit of vulgarity then Avenue Q is not the show for you. However, if you have an inappropriate sense of humour, laugh at things you shouldn’t and giggle like a 12 year old at rude words then step right up, this musical will tickle your funny bone and make you snort out loud with laughter.
Avenue Q has built an almost cult-like following and continues to endure both here and in the United States. First performed in 2003, Avenue Q is a musical comedy featuring puppets and human actors with music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx and book by Jeff Whitty. The show was directed by Jason Moore with puppets designed and built by original cast member Rick Lyon. In 2004 the show won the Tony “Triple Crown” for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book.
Set against the back drop of a seriously tongue-in-cheek score, Avenue Q tells the story of college graduate Princeton who moves into a shabby New York apartment on Avenue Q. There, Princeton meets a rag-tag bunch of misfits including girl next door Kate Monster, closeted Republican Rod, porn loving Trekkie, Lucy The Slut and other colourful characters who help Princeton discover his true purpose in life.
The current UK tour is directed by Cressida Carré and is as fresh and comedic as ever. The Waterside stage is large and bright and suits the scale of the production and Richard Evans’ set design is vibrant and cleverly utilised throughout the piece. Jessica Parker’s choreography and movement maintains the pace and the multi-levelled staging combined with quick changes ensure the piece is not allowed to stagnate.
The cast are a composite of pure joy, enthusiasm and energy. They are all incredibly adept at multi-tasking and there is no let up in what is required of them. They have to ambidextrously juggle puppets, choreography and vocals which is a demanding combination. Lawrence Smith is an utter delight in his dual role of Princeton/Rod, he has an enviable vocal range and brings a boyish charm and warmth to both characters. He’s also incredibly funny and bounces effortlessly off the wider cast. His chemistry with Cecily Redman in particular is strong and the two play off each other with ease. Redman is a breath of fresh air and brings a new energy to the show as the uptight Kate and slutty Lucy, a hilarious dual role given that the characters couldn’t be more different.
Avenue Q is blessed with an exceptionally strong ensemble cast. Saori Oda is hilarious as the offensively stereotyped Christmas Eve, a Chinese immigrant married to man-child Brian played by Oliver Stanley. In the absence of principal Tom Steedon, an incredibly capable Ellis Dackombe provides a solid turn as he steps into the roles of Nicky, Trekkie Monster and Bad Idea Bear. His defining moments coming during the riotous numbers If You Were Gay and The Internet is for Porn.
Avenue Q’s humour has aged reasonably well. The world is still incredibly bound by its political correctness and fear of offending. Avenue Q cleverly taps into contentious themes of racism, homosexuality, pornography and homelessness but it never actually feels offensive. It’s an incredibly polished production that also provides surprising moments of poignancy and emotion as well as its staple levels of humour.
If you are looking for a couple of hours of escapism from the stress and seriousness of modern life then Avenue Q offers that in droves. It’s slick and stylish and the Tony winning score is delivered brilliantly by the multi-talented cast and equally accomplished band, led by MD Dean McDermott. Avenue Q is on at the Waterside until Saturday 27 July; grab yourself a ticket to the funniest show in town and you will be sure to leave with a smile on your face and a spring in your step.
