Avenue Q At The Brewhouse Theatre, Burton-on-Trent Review

Reviewed by Catherine Brown

Avenue Q is a hilarious adult musical, cleverly performed using puppets, by actors of the Little Theatre Company currently playing at The Brewhouse in Burton-on-Trent.

Originally written by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, with a book by Jeff Whitty, Avenue Q ran on Broadway from 2003 to 2009. Many of the puppeteers in the original production were veterans of the Jim Henson shows and it definitely has a nod to an x-rated Sesame Street. This show is directed by John Bowness and Scarlett Winson, with musical direction by Katie Hailstone and choreography by Heather Gallagher.

The show stars a group of friends who are renting apartments on Avenue Q from Gary Coleman (Daisy Parker). New arrival Princeton (Ollie Last) has arrived in New York after graduating and is trying to find his purpose. He forms a friendship with Kate Monster (Heather Gallagher), a kindergarten teacher keen to open her own school for monsters. Also in the building are therapist Christmas Eve (Emmie Doyle) and in the closet Rod (Joel Kirkpatrick) who is trying to be outed by his well meaning friend Nicky (Dom White).

The script is littered with sexual references, topped up by extra comedy coming from the manipulation of the puppets. Many contentious topics are dealt with cleverly including racism, pornography and sexuality. The Bad Idea Bears (Charlotte Davis and Beth Fryer) act as Princeton’s devil in his ear, encouraging him to make dangerous choices. Lucy the Slut (Hannah Kirkpatrick) is a provocative distraction trying to tempt Princeton away from his safe choices.
The entire cast demonstrated excellent puppeteering skills, using the windows and doors in the apartments backdrop, plus simple props to great comedy effect. I loved the Mexican wave of talking boxes! All of the cast bar one (Brian played by Paul Webb) are tasked with operating the puppets expertly while also delivering impressive songs and comedy lines.

The Little Theatre Company are an impressive group of amateur performers who have been established for over 30 years and perform a variety of productions locally. I was excited to read in the programme that they are soon to be putting on Michael Morpurgo’s Private Peaceful and later in the year Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

The Brewhouse Theatre in Union Street, Burton-on-Trent DE14 1AA is always a pleasure to visit, with friendly staff and plenty of free parking after 3pm. The main stage is part of a tiered auditorium with excellent views and comfortable seats. We enjoyed a drink in the bar beforehand where they serve a selection of reasonably priced drinks and snacks. It was also possible to pre-order these to avoid any queues during the interval.

Tickets for Avenue Q can be purchased from the Brewhouse Theatre Box office on 01283 508100 or at www.brewhouse.co.uk. The show is running from 11th – 15th April and tickets start from £13 each.

I would recommend Avenue Q with the disclaimer that you attend with an open mind. This show is unquestionably aimed at adults – it even includes a warning about puppet nudity!
Rating: The talented cast and constant giggles mean I have to award the show 5/5.