Celebrating twenty years on stage Avenue Q has arrived back in London at Shaftesbury Theatre for a limited run until 29 August 2026.

Princeton (operated by Noah Harrison) has recently graduated college, living off the money that his Mum and Dad gave him temporarily while he looks for his “purpose” in life. However, his budget is limited, and he finds him in downtown New York looking for somewhere to live in Avenue Q, a run-down area with cheap rentals.

He soon meets the neighbours who all have their own tales of woe and try to outbid each other in who has the saddest life. However, they might not have much, but they have friendship and each other. Which makes Avenue Q a really special place.

One particular neighbour catches his eye, whose a “monster puppet” instead of an ordinary puppet like Princeton. She’s Katy Monster (Emily Benjamin), who is single and works in a high school. Although she has dreams and ambitions to  open her own Monster School.

The character Gary Coleman (Dionne Ward-Anderson) will probably completely go over the younger audience’s heads. However, many of the older audience members will remember the 1980’s sitcom Diff’rent Strokes and remember the character catchphrase “what you talking about Willis” which will probably fall flat on those who have no recollection of the American interracial comedy.

For those familiar with Gary’s family problems over the money he earned and was taken from him, it’s the reason he found himself living in Avenue Q as a “handyman.”

The characters that get the biggest laughs on stage are focused on Trekkie Monster (Charlie McCullagh), whose outbursts about “The Internet is for porn,” which caught me off guard. Although this probably is not the case if you have seen before, though.

With songs like “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist” and “If You Were Gay.” It sets the scenes as to the issues and situations and themes the production covers in Avenue Q. Although “If You Were Gay” felt rather dated and unnecessary nowadays and the shame in general around coming out has changed over the twenty years when this musical was first produced.

Despite this, it’s a very good show with plenty of drama, songs, and entertainment. The entire cast of puppet masters and brilliantly skillfull, you forget you are watching puppets at times especially during the Cabaret scene with Lucy the Slut (Emily Benjamin) who has some very sexy moves and knows how to use them.

Although the production in based around using puppets Avenue Q is strictly for adults only, and for those audience members old enough to remember Sesame Street, there are similarities you will remember from the series. Especially where there is a combination of puppets and humans living side by side.

For more information about Avenue Q, please use the link below.

Five Stars.

Photo credit Matt Crockett

https://avenueqmusical.co.uk/