“Avenue Q”
Nottingham Theatre Royal

“Avenue Q” tells the story of a bright-eyed college graduate named Princeton. He arrives in the city with big dreams and a tiny bank account, He has to move into a shabby apartment on Avenue Q, due to his financial constrictions. Still, the neighbours seem nice. There, he meets Kate, Lucy, Rod, Trekkie, superintendent Gary Coleman (yes, that Gary Coleman) and other new friends! Together, they struggle to find jobs, dates, and their ever-elusive purpose in life, not helped in the least by the very naughty Bad Idea Bears!

The show is like The Muppets/Sesame Street, but is definitely NOT for the kids due to some of the content of the show, but will strongly appeal to anyone who loved shows like “South Park” or even “The Inbetweeners”, so from mid to late teens

upwards. I find it’s always best to know your kids and their maturity levels before deciding if this show would be for them. That said, the comedy is aimed for adults with a childish sense of humour, but is incredibly funny, albeit puerile.

There are however some really quite serious messages in the show. Homelessness,friendship and coming to terms with one's sexuality create the more sensitive side of this musical, and you could hear from the audience's reaction that they bought into these storylines and the characters that were involved

I’ve seen this show several times and still love to go back and see it again; it’s that funny, and the funnies are laugh out loud funnies.

Even though these characters are puppets, it doesn’t take you long to focus more on the puppet character than the puppeteer and that is when the magic this show radiates start to come to life for the viewer. This in itself is a massive tribute to the actors who control the puppets in channelling their skills through the puppets to make us believe in what they see on stage; almost like a magician’s sleight of hand in influencing us as to where to look and react.

Puppetry, when it is done correctly is a major art form. Your arms ache at having to keep them at a certain angle and the co ordination between what is being said and the mouth of the puppet is a lot harder than you'd imagine. And that is just working with one puppet. Two actors working one puppet

requires great co ordination and faith in your partner to make everything look as smooth and as "human" as possible. Not forgetting that these are very talented actors, singers and puppeteers who have to choreograph the movements of the puppets as well.

Directed and choreographed by Cressida Carre and designed by Richard Evans. The set is different to the touring productions that I have seen previously which gave a fresh appeal to me, who has seen the show before, and that alone gave me new enthusiasm for this naughty but very nice, heart warming show.

The non human stars of the show were created and designed by Paul Jomain who seemed to have inbuilt certain personality traits into the very fabric of them. How do you manage to get Kate Monster to look sexy drunk as well as so sad in the space of a few scenes?

Great sound and lighting as well as some deliciously wicked nods to "Sesame Street" with the TV work on stage.

The songs are catchy - I bet you are singing or humming many of them for days afterwards. the band under the musical direction of Dean McDermott was superb.

It's very naughty in places and the most un PC show you’ll see, but it’s also one of the funniest shows you’ll see, that is as long as you have a sense of humour and not that easily offended.

“Avenue Q” is at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Saturday 20 July.