AVENUE Q

Shaftesbury Theatre

★★★★★

“The razor-sharp lyrics are as funny as ever, helped by some smart tweaks”

Multi-Tony award winning ‘Avenue Q’, the lewd, rude and occasionally nude children’s TV parody, explodes back into the West End twenty years after its smash hit debut. Fully updated and featuring a sparkling new cast, you’ll fall in love with this crazy gang of misfits all over again.

Fresh-faced college grad Princeton hits New York ready for a new life – only to slam into reality on rundown Avenue Q. Though adulthood is full of stresses and curveballs, his quirky, lovable neighbours soon help him find home – if only for now.

Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx’s conception and Jeff Whitty’s book still land with wicked charm, satirising the beloved children’s show ‘Sesame Street’ with a keen blend of nostalgia and adult themes. Twenty years on, the mix of naive optimism and real world grit remains a winning contrast. Smart updates – from AI to OnlyFans – keep it current, while less adaptable elements – such as the ‘Mix Tape’ number – lean into self aware irony. Christmas Eve’s caricature may spark debate in 2026, but the show’s critique of lingering stereotypes still holds weight.

Lopez and Marx’s cult classic score, guided by Stephen Oremus and Benjamin Holder, skewer adulthood with biting wit. The razor-sharp lyrics are as funny as ever, helped by some smart tweaks. Musically, some expanded moments – including an unexpected drum break – give the show fresh energy.

Director Jason Moore, with associate Julie Atherton, nails an ebullient balance of cartoonish chaos and understated sincerity. Christmas Eve’s accent is wisely softened, and the flying screens add fresh opportunities for new gags. Puppet Coaches Iestyn Evans and Andy Heath achieve astonishing precision – the cast and puppets move so seamlessly, you forget which one you’re watching. It makes the collective penny drop horror even more outrageous.

Choreographer Ebony Molina, with associate Dale White, vibrantly channels children’s TV with a sharp adult edge. Puppet pole dancing proves unexpectedly irresistible, and the puppet human crossovers – like Nicky’s high kicking human legs in ‘If You Were Gay’ – are spot on.

Rick Lyon’s puppet design is full of brilliant comic details, from five o’clock shadows to full frontal surprises. Anna Louizos’ set zooms about seamlessly to create a host of locations, including a lush wedding garden. Jean Chan’s costumes bring the humans smartly into 2026 – including Brian’s shorts. Tim Lutkin’s lighting is gorgeous, especially the dream sequence, and LED strips make the window gags pop. Paul Groothuis’ sound is impeccably synced. Nina Dunn’s video work for Pixellux adds a modern edge with sly jokes of its own, though ‘Schadenfreude’ could use a touch more variety. Jackie Saundercock’s hair and makeup extend charmingly to the puppets, keeping them visually cohesive.

This cast absolutely tears through the show with precision, personality and top tier vocals across the board. Emily Benjamin shines as Kate Monster and Lucy, flipping from sweet to sultry with ease and impressive vocal range. Noah Harrison nails Princeton’s innocence and Rod’s repression, and is so engaging you forget to look at the puppets. Charlie McCullagh brings sweet sincerity as Nicky and pinpoint comic timing as Trekkie and Bad Idea Bear. Amelia Kinu Muus gives Christmas Eve a fresher, fiercer edge while keeping every ounce of bite. Oliver Jacobson brings goofy warmth to Brian, and Dionne Ward Anderson’s Gary is full of sharp, knowing humour.

You’ll happily give ‘Avenue Q’ all your money for a chance to see this razor sharp, wickedly insightful show. It was a smash before and this revival proves why – run and grab tickets while you can!

AVENUE Q

Shaftesbury Theatre

Reviewed on 16th April 2026

by Hannah Bothelton

Photography by Matt Crockett

AVENUE Q

★★★★★

“An intoxicating blend of tradition and modernity”

For Paco Peña, and his renowned Flamenco Dance Company, there is no division between the old and the new. His show, “Solera”, which returns to Sadler’s Wells for the third time takes its title from the Andalusian system of aging wine in which vintages of different ages are blended. Peña views the art of Flamenco with the same reverence and respect ensuring the perfect balance between the hard-won quality of tradition and the freshness and fearlessness of youth.

The company assembled for the show crosses the generations and is fairly small in size, although the sheer wealth of talent is extraordinary. Peña is joined onstage by two fellow guitarists, Dani de Morón and Rafael Montilla; two singers (Immaculada Rivero and Iván Carpio); three dancers – Angel Muñoz, Adriana Bilbao and Gabriel Matias and percussionist Julio Alcocer. Within minutes we feel we know each of them personally – their individualism standing out, and yet also complementing each other by blending in with the theatricality of the performance.

From the outset tradition is defied. The sounds of traffic are heard while a harsh backlight reveals the cast on their daily commute, phones glued to their ears. They disperse and reassemble in the rehearsal room. An air of random informality is brought into shape by the strict and intricate rhythm of Alcocer’s percussion. In silence, the performers meet and greet, shed their overcoats and their inhibitions and merge into harmony. The guitars join in, the dancers respond and the singers react. It is a three-way conversation between rhythm, music and movement. A call and response, with an unbreakable and hidden connection between every cast member. Virtuosity is the vanguard, but emotion is the cutting edge. Intricacy and passion collide in perfect harmony.

The elders inform the younger members while the young ones inspire their forebears. The flamenco guitar prompts the movement and the footwork and vice versa. It feels like a jam session in places, but the concentration never slips even when a character relaxes to watch another’s routine. There are moments of calm, moments of fun and moments of undiluted brilliance. The dancers’ ‘Escobilla’ (impossibly fast footwork) is breathtaking. Even the simple art of walking in and out of the light becomes an artform in these performers’ hands (or rather feet).

The first act represents the rehearsal, while Act Two is the performance. The tone shifts, and the lighting switches from monochrome to technicolour. Blades of light replace the general washes. The costumes are sumptuous, but formal. Ballgowns and suits. Not a flamenco dress in sight, nor a castanet. Eight set pieces follow, but we’re not counting as they seamlessly combine into a continuous flow. Peña, the true master, allows de Morón and Montilla their moments in the spotlight, but when the three guitarists come together the effect is spectacular. There is no leader of the dance. Solos, duets and trios oscillate under Fernando Romero’s choreography. We sometimes feel the footwork and the finger-picking guitar work are in a duel, but there is no competition or conflict. Every element of the performance is orchestrated to perfection, and held together with the gorgeous thread of the evocative Spanish singing voices. Director Jude Kelly, who has worked with Peña for over twenty years, gets to the heart of this feeling of unison.

One would be happy to spend two hours watching the musicians perform alone; or the dancers unaccompanied, or the singers delivering a private concert. But to have all three artforms thrown together like this is exhilarating. An intoxicating blend of tradition and modernity, the old and the new, the mature and the fresh, the talent and the emotion. Quite simply – unmissable.

Tag Archives: 5STAR26

AVENUE Q

★★★★★

Shaftesbury Theatre

AVENUE Q

Shaftesbury Theatre

★★★★★

“The razor-sharp lyrics are as funny as ever, helped by some smart tweaks”