I went to see Avenue Q with my Dad last night, for the second time, and it was just as good as the first time, if not bettter!

I decided to play my ‘Im a tour guide give me some free tickets’ card and I managed to get top price tickets for £20, GOOD TIMES! Having moved fromthe Wyndhams Theatre to the Gielgud Theatre it is still pulling in big crowds and for a Wednesday night it was suprisingly full. The theatre is beautiful, if not a little confusing as the Dress Circle is on street level, the stalls being underground. Our seats were great, offering a clear view of the stage with no big-heads in the way.

The set hasn’t changed from when i first saw it, the core of the set being 3 run down houses on Avenue Q, in the suburbs of New York. The lighting pretty neutral but some cool effects were used throughout the show including a moment when they are on the tube in ‘There is Life outside your apartment’. The only thing missing was a band on show, I do like it when you can see the band when you are watching a show, makes you feel like you are getting more for your money and not just listening to a backing track.

On the whole the acting was brilliant with stand out performances from Julie Atherton (Kate Monster & Lucy the Slut), Daniel Boys (Princeton & Rod) and Mark Goldthorp (Trekkie Monster, Nicky, Bad Taste Bear), doing amazing jobs differentiating between multiple characters. The only dissapointing performance came from Sion Lloyd (Brian), it seemed as though he either didn’t want to be there or had just become bored with the part.

I don’t think there is a bad song in the show, and the list of my favourites would take up this whole post, but my top 3 are;

3. I wish I could go back to College. (Amazing harmonies, and a funny line about doing something naughty to his TA!)

2. Everyone’s a little bit racist. (Does what it says on the tin really!)

1. The Internet is for porn. (As above!)

Overall it was a brilliant show, although my Dad wasn’t to keen, he said that people were only laughing because it was a Puppet saying ‘porn’, well yes and no. Yes, that is kind of the point, that is half the reason it is funny and what’s wrong with that. If some regular bloke told Peter Kay’s jokes, they probably wouldn’t be as funny as they are not being said by a fat northern bloke.

Avenue Q is well worth it, although probably not one to take young kids too!!!

x

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