The lovable, friendly and sometimes mischievous residents of Avenue Q return to London!
Avenue Q is a musical comedy with book by Jeff Whitty and score/lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx. After two decades, this puppet-filled show returns for a limited run at the Shaftesbury Theatre. Avenue Q follows the story of Princeton fresh out of college searching for his purpose in life. Whilst doing this, he ends up in a tired old apartment in New York on Avenue Q. There Princeton meets his wonderful and whacky new neighbours and they begin to navigate everyday life. The show is a parody on Sesame Street, with both human and puppet characters living simultaneously in Avenue Q. Where it differentiates is that the Avenue Q residents are dealing with some more adult-oriented themes and as such, this show is not very suitable for children. I’ve enjoyed the songs of Avenue Q for many years but have never had the chance to see the production performed. When it was announced that the show was returning to London, after Just For One Day, I was eagerly anticipating watching the show. This new revival is directed by Jason Moore (the original director) and has an incredibly talented cast: ready to tell the stories of these jolly characters!
Firstly, the beginning screen was strangely entertaining to watch. Following the line around to be able to figure out the message (whilst obvious) was somewhat intriguing. The set shows the titular street of Avenue Q and works well by opening windows to show different apartment buildings. Alongside this, the lighting worked well to highlight certain areas (such as the windows) to help focus on the correct character. There is a few changes to make this more modern, such as references to more relevant aspects of everyday life. This made the show feel really fresh whilst keeping the story in tact. In 2026, the message of Avenue Q still feels genuinely fresh and relevant to the everyday lives: making this revival arrive at the Shaftesbury at the perfect time!
As I was already aware of the soundtrack, listening to the songs live was a real experience. This incredible cast sung through each song, from fun upbeat to powerful ballads: each song really soared in the Shaftesbury Theatre. Some of the stand out songs involved Emily Benjamin and Noah Harrison who had very strong vocal performances. However the entire cast really understood the score and delivered well. Some of the stand out songs in the score include ‘There’s A Fine, Fine Line’, ‘Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist’ and ‘For Now’: though all the songs work incredibly well throughout the show.
Dionne Ward-Anderson plays Gary, an ex child star who rents out the apartments on Avenue Q. Ward-Anderson consistently was bringing laughter to the audience by having jokes in lots of scenes. Ward-Anderson also sung ‘You Can Be As Loud As The Hell You Want’ really well: making for a great song and funny moment. Amelia Kinu Muus plays Christmas Eve who is therapist engaged to her husband Brian. Kinu Muus was very entertaining to watch and really stole each scene they were in. Her vocals in ‘Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist’ were brilliant and helped the group number excel. Oliver Jacobson plays Brian, Christmas Eve’s fiancee who is currently out of a job. I’ve seen Jacobson in both Choir of Man and Come From Away so I was already aware of his great vocals and comedy timings. Jacobson continues this into Avenue Q and continues to be comedically funny, specifically in his song ‘I’m Not Wearing Underpants Today’. Meg Hateley plays Mrs T and Bad Idea Bear. Hateley had to mix between supporting many characters alongside voicing others, making a diverse opportunity. She was able to effortlessly mix between supporting these roles and helped to create the magic of Avenue Q.
Charlie Mccullagh plays Trekkie Monster, Nicky and Bad Idea Bear. Playing all these roles must be fun but also difficult, though Mccullagh makes it look effortless. I enjoyed his rendition of ‘If You Were Gay’ as Nicky as well as his voice for Trekkie Monster. He really had a diverse role but was able to deliver. Emily Benjamin plays Kate Monster and Lucy the Slut. Benjamin is a well known actress to Rhombus Rota, having been in A Knight’s Tale last year in Manchester. Her vocals were phenomenal in this show too, singing each song really well. As Kate, her rendition of ‘There’s A Fine, Fine Line’ was beautifully moving: making the audience stop and think. Benjamin was then able to flawlessly become Lucy, at times playing both characters simultaneously on stage. She was able to balance this tremendously well. Noah Harrison plays Princeton and Rod. Princeton is the new neighbour on the block and Harrison plays this really well. I specifically enjoyed his vocals on ‘Purpose’: feeling like a great ‘I want’ song for the character. Beyond this, Harrison was able to switch into Rod with little difficulty: bringing a whole new personality to the stage. Harrison and Benjamin’s vocals together were really profound, mixing their sounds together to make brilliant harmonies.
Avenue Q continues till August 2026. Book your tickets now!
Max
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