Puerile puppetry perfection
10 / 10
People who remember Avenue Q from first time round will know what they’re getting, the uninitiated may find themselves taken aback at the assertion that “everyone’s a little bit racist” or the eye-watering crudeness of a number like “You Can Be as Loud as the Hell You Want (When You’re Makin’ Love).” Attitudes and sensibilities have moved on in the last 20 plus years, but the lessons these lovable loafers and neurotics learn – that we’re all longing for connection, altruism makes you feel better, that schadenfreude makes you you feel even better, (well, possibly) and life can be disappointing – haven’t changed so much. Lopez and Marx’s earworm tunes, pitched peppily between theatrical pop and the comforting tum-ti-tum-ti tunes of kids TV, retain their sparkle and freshness.
