Comedy right up your street

Reporter: Paul Genty
Date published: 28 May 2014


AVENUE Q, Palace, Manchester, to Saturday

REVIVED and now in the early stage of a UK tour, this new production of Avenue Q will pose little threat to the pleasure of those who saw the West End version three years ago.

It remains one of the funniest nights out at the theatre around.

Avenue Q is the Muppet Show from the naughty step; a curious mix of early adulthood, sex, ordinary people, rudeness, sex and a bit more sex, all performed by puppets operated by the openly-visible cast members, and all in the best possible taste and quite a lot of cheerful swearing.

The puppets allow far darker thoughts and actions than humans could, though this fact is subverted for some glorious comedy and song.

Among these are three human actors, one claiming to be Gary Coleman, the former “Diff’rent Strokes” child actor whose money was stolen by his family — played here by attractive female actor Ellena Vincent.

The show’s bitingly witty script and song lyrics plunder their way though young adult angst about jobs, relationships and one’s place in life by, turns sexily, sentimentally and occasionally even profoundly, but always with great jokes about internet porn, the misfortunes of others, closet homosexuality and more.

Avenue Q is set in an outer New York suburb and this production bears a strong resemblance, set-wise, to the show that has graced Broadway and London stages for more than a decade.

The performances are wonderfully silly and packed with energy, particularly from Lucie-May Sumner as Kate Monster and Stephen Arden as the porn-addicted Trekkie Monster.

This production might be a little cheaper and easier to tour, but a certain freshness stops it being simply more of the same as before. Great fun; don’t miss it.