★★★★★

“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!

THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY

Riverside Studios

★★★★

“It is an absolute delight to interact with all these characters”

The Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster is an alcoholic beverage invented by the ex-President of the Galaxy, Zaphod Beeblebrox, and is considered to be the “Best Drink in Existence.” It is said that its effects are similar to “having your brains smashed out by a slice of lemon wrapped round a large gold brick”. You can get one of these at the bar when you enter the mad-cap world of Arvind Ethan David’s adaptation of Douglas Adams’ iconic comedy science fiction franchise, “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”. You may not experience the exact side effects as described, but when you come out of the show your brain could well feel like it has had some sort of collision with a lemon-wrapped projectile. Early on, there is a karaoke-style rendition of the 4 Non Blondes song, ‘What’s Going On?’. Exactly! That very question is a leitmotif of the evening.

Adams’ brilliantly constructed odyssey began as a radio sitcom and was rapidly adapted to other formats, including a novel, comic book, BBC television series, adventure game and a feature film. The basic thrust of the story charts the (mis)adventures of the last surviving man on Earth – Arthur Dent – after the planet’s demolition to make way for a hyperspace bypass. Dent is rescued at the last minute by Ford Prefect – a human-like alien writer for the eponymous travel guide – by hitching a ride on a passing Vogon spacecraft (the Vogons, incidentally, are the ones responsible for the Earth’s destruction). Following Arthur’s rescue, the adventures begin.

Purists, and acolytes of the original, may be scandalised by the liberties taken in this stage adaptation. It begins faithfully enough, but the diversions and deviations stretch exponentially the deeper we drift into the galaxy’s outer reaches. But ‘don’t panic!’ (as per the guide’s renowned catchphrase), the journey is an absolute blast from start to finish. Even if we never reach the ‘Restaurant at the End of the Universe’. No apologies for a spoiler there. If you haven’t heard of it, or if you don’t know who Zaphod Beeblebrox or Slartibartfast are, or simply even where your towel is, then that’s your own fault. Where have you been these last millennia?

The show is an immersive, promenade performance that takes over the two main theatre spaces of the venue. Co-creator and production designer, Jason Ardizzone West, has transformed the studios into a whole other make-believe universe. Gareth Owen’s sound design whispers and shouts to us from every possible direction; while Aiden Bromley’s lighting, coupled with Leo Flint’s myriad and giant video installations, are on a breathtakingly astronomical scale. If you normally prefer to steer clear of promenade performances, fear not – the directorial team (Georgia Clarke-Day with co-directors Simon Evans and David Frias-Robles) ensure a seamless passage from space to outer space. Don’t forget to look out for ‘Marvin the Paranoid Android’ on the way – a brilliant example of Charlie Tymms’ puppet design. It must have been a technical nightmare, but this team have turned it into a technological dream.

The cast are all joyful and energetic, encapsulating their character’s particular personalities to great effect. Oliver Britten is suitably scatty and eccentric as the dilettante Ford Prefect (‘Dr Who’ casting directors – look this way). Robert Thompson’s Arthur Dent has the troubled demeanour of the constant worrier to perfection. Torn between his love for the planet and for his sweetheart (a wonderfully sassy Kat Johns-Burke as Fenchurch) he ricochets from crisis to crisis in love-sick befuddlement. Lee V G dazzles as the irrepressible, irresponsible, swaggering Zaphod Beeblebrox. Equally commanding, and majestic, is Richard Costello’s white bearded Slartibartfast, the planet maker, who is working on Earth V2, and who does a lot of useful explaining to any audience member who may be a bit in the dark by this point. However, even those familiar with the story may start to lose their way. The artistic license applied – particularly to the conclusion – does stretch the space time continuum. And the message is quite different, dolloped now as it is with saccharine doses of romanticism and greeting card platitudes. But we can’t deny the sheer upbeat positivity. It is an absolute delight to interact with all these characters; the major and the minor ones. The sexy Eccentrica Gallumbits has a walk on part in the books, but Briony Scarlett brings her centre stage. Andrew Evans adopts a forlorn yet metallic voice for the persistently depressed Marvin.

It is a rotating cast, so you may not get the exact same cast listed in this review, depending on the performance schedule. But I feel sure that any configuration will be as talented and charismatic as the next. The cast frequently break into song which, although unnecessary, is bizarrely a bonus. Other additions, that may seem odd on paper, similarly work well. An overt reference, or rather a homage, to Noël Coward’s ‘Brief Encounter’ is exceedingly cleverly executed.

You may not get the full story. And you almost certainly won’t get the answer to “life, the universe and everything”. But the answer is unimportant. In the books we never even learn what the question is. In short, so long as you don’t question “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” too much, you are in for a stellar and mind-blowing ride. Question: should you see it? Answer: an unequivocal ‘Yes!’

Tag Archives: Angelis Hunt

AVENUE Q

★★★★★

Shaftesbury Theatre

AVENUE Q

Shaftesbury Theatre

★★★★★

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

AVENUE Q

Shaftesbury Theatre

Reviewed on 16th April 2026

by Hannah Bothelton

Photography by Matt Crockett

AVENUE Q

AVENUE Q

AVENUE Q

THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY

★★★★

Riverside Studios

THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY

Riverside Studios

★★★★

“It is an absolute delight to interact with all these characters”