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DON'T BE A MUPPET, GO AND SEE THESE PUPPETS! - AVENUE Q, WEST END REVIEW 2026
- Robbie Davies
- 17 minutes ago
- 5 min read
This week I was invited to see the brand new production of Avenue Q playing in the West End at the Shaftesbury Theatre, booking until the 29th August. It’s been almost 7 years since my last trip to Avenue Q (on the 2019 UK Tour) — and this production reminded me just how much heart, hilarity, and fun you can witness in one evening.
Avenue Q is a vibrant musical comedy by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, with a book by Jeff Whitty. It first came to the West End after a successful Broadway run, gaining three Tony Awards, and now it’s back to thrill audiences of a new generation! The story follows recent college graduate Princeton, who wants to start life on Avenue Q. He is full of hope — but very soon gets down-trodden by the hardships and struggle of searching for a purpose. We follow his journey of realisation that everything is only ‘For Now’.
It is worth noting that although these puppets look sweet, this one is not for children… trust me, by the end of the first number, you’d be regretting bringing them… and if not then, certainly by the end of Act One. It contains puppet nudity and some very strong language.
The set, designed by Anna Louizos, transports you to Avenue Q, a rundown avenue in New York. Something that shocked me was just how adaptable the set was — small boxes representing the various characters’ apartments, a full Empire State Building, and lots of little intricate details that I loved spotting throughout the show. This is the best set I have seen for this show yet, and I have looked through various images of previous productions. I also really enjoyed the small change for the wedding sequence, which I had never seen done in that way before.
Directed by Jason Moore, this show just gets funnier! I wasn’t expecting anything different to what I had seen those seven years ago, but I was very pleased to be proven wrong. So many great physical comedy gags, thrilling moments, and overall silliness were brought to the stage, and I could not have wanted more. It was the perfect example of what you can do with Avenue Q. I also really enjoyed the way a lot of the humour had been updated to reflect changes in society, including mentions of AI, ChatGPT, and even a Spotify playlist instead of a mixtape in the song ‘Mixtape’. All of these very clever changes and adaptations just elevated an already fantastic show.
The casting for this production is second to none. Every single performer ramps up the energy and keeps the show progressing into new depths of controlled silliness.
Emily Benjamin stands out in the roles of Kate Monster and Lucy the Slut. Not only did she bring heartfelt emotion during numbers such as ‘There’s a Fine, Fine Line’, she also switched the emotion for sass in Lucy’s numbers such as ‘Special’. ‘Special’ was performed unlike I have ever seen before, taking three performers to control a full-bodied puppet. Lucy was able to pole dance and really embody her sexiness for the audience members in the ‘Around the Clock Café’ — and yes, I did just write the word sexiness about a puppet… see the show, you’ll understand. There were some really intricate moments when Emily Benjamin would be having conversations between her two characters and was able to instantly switch voice and characterisation, which I thought was incredibly impressive and must have taken a while to master!
I enjoyed Noah Harrison’s portrayal of ‘Princeton’ and ‘Rod’ — both very separate characters, full of life and energy. Harrison’s Princeton falls at the centre of the plot, and his tone in the song ‘Purpose’ was beautiful. I particularly enjoy watching the actor, as well as the puppet — Harrison matched his puppet’s characterisation perfectly whilst performing them, and I thought this was a delight to watch.
Charlie McCullagh plays the roles of Nicky, Trekkie Monster, and one of the Bad Idea Bears, and he has some impeccable comedic timing. The differentiation between roles was massive and very entertaining. I found myself giggling the most throughout McCullagh’s scenes and musical numbers — he truly brings an energy of chaos and fun with these characters, and his performance is not to be missed!
Dionne Ward-Anderson plays TV star ‘Gary Coleman’, and she was such a joy to watch. Constantly giving the highest energy, Ward-Anderson adds something unique to the show, bringing a special shine to an already well-loved character.
Amelia Kinu Muus’ rendition of ‘The More You Ruv Someone’ as Christmas Eve was stunning. Her vocal performance left the audience with their jaws dropped, and her chemistry with Brian (Oliver Jacobson) was funny and sweet.
Jacobson’s Brian gave drive and liveliness to the piece. I found his performance of ‘I’m Not Wearing Underwear Today’ hilarious!
Meg Hateley plays Mrs T, one of the Bad Idea Bears, and a lot of ‘second hands’, which I think is an awesome talent, as for the second hands you are performing in sync with the lead performer and keeping the gestures moving without speaking themselves, which blew my mind.
The puppetry throughout the show was impressive — Iestyn Evans and Andy Heath were puppet coaches for the West End production, and their work doesn’t go unnoticed. Within the show, there are many eye-catching puppetry moments in which the performers do incredible work to bring the characters to life.
Avenue Q’s music is mainly comedic and upbeat, which hits the audience, packing laugh-a-minute punches in numbers such as ‘It Sucks to Be Me’, ‘Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist’, and ‘You Can Be as Loud as the Hell You Want’. The audience were howling with laughter throughout the entire show — every joke, gag, and moment landed and was side-splittingly funny! It was so wonderful to be part of such a lively audience on a Wednesday evening in April.
If you’re looking for a musical that can lift your spirits high and leave you belly laughing for 2 hours, Avenue Q is the show for you! Don’t be a muppet — go and see these puppets! Full of life and playful energy, Avenue Q’s triumphant return to the West End is bound to be a true success, with more production values, a stellar cast, and updated references that will have modern audiences rolling in the aisles with laughter. Catch Avenue Q in the West End at the Shaftesbury Theatre — booking until the 29th August. Tickets can be purchased here.
If you’ve been down to Avenue Q, let me know your thoughts! Get in touch with me at robbiesbackstagebants@gmail.com
17th April 2026
Robbie Davies | Robbie’s Backstage Bants
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