Review: Avenue Q, Sunderland Empire
Avenue Q nurtures and reassures twenty and thirtysomethings in the way that Sesame Street nurtured them when they were children.
Image: Darren Bell
Inspired by Sesame Street and similar children’s TV shows with an educational edge, this definitely not-for-kids show looks at the lives of a range of people who have ended up in living in Avenue Q – an affordable street well away from the prosperous avenues at the top end of the alphabet.
Avenue Q is a fantastically funny show, with an interesting interaction between human characters and the puppets.
The foam-based characters are engineered by singers and puppeteers dressed in unobtrusive black, dancing alongside the characters.
Indeed, it can sometimes be difficult working out which you are supposed to be looking at; to concentrate upon the puppets would be to ignore the performers who are actually doing the signing, and display the same expressions as they are investing into their characters.
The performances are great, and it is especially impressive at those times the puppeteers are voicing characters other than the puppets they are currently controlling.
There are some absolutely cracking songs too, with “Schadenfreude”, for me, being a particularly showstopper.
There are some attempts at interactivity, although from where I was sitting, the unusually reserved crowd seemed a little unsure as to whether they were actually meant to interact; if more people around me had started it, then I would have happily have belted out the “Internet is For Porn”, or passed the hat around when offered by Princeton.
The characters are reassuringly recognisable: the arts and humanities graduates who initially take remedial jobs, but eventually find happiness and their “purpose” in life.
And, although it is meant to be a send-up of this kind of educational show, the great thing about Avenue Q is that it actually does manage to nurture its adult audiences. Things might be a bit unhappy or untenable, but, as the final song advises, it’s only “for now”.
And, judging by the smiles on everyone’s face as they leave the theatre, Avenue Q helps to make, at least tonight, a lot happier.
Date of live review: Monday 14 July 2014
Avenue Q runs at the Sunderland Empire until 16 July (7.30pm or 2.30pm Wednesday matinee), before continuing its UK tour, including dates at Carlisle’s The Sands.
