Dear God, someone somewhere has just conned me into going to see a musical. It gets worse though. Now I have to admit that it was actually pretty good. However, I do have some justification for betraying this principle. Avenue Q is dark, subversive and much funnier than it is cute.
The tone is set by the opening number 'It sucks to be me'. At the tail end of April, when bank balances are running low and you are likely to have at least one rain shower on the way to the Theatre, this will strike a chord with many. It is during this number that you really get an idea of just how good the acting is. I mean, the main characters are puppets. When you’re doing a musical number with singing cardboard boxes you have to have a bit of talent.
This was quickly followed up with 'Everyone’s a little bit racist'; a song which takes the angle that if everyone admitted they were subconsciously racist instead of being ashamed of it, the world would be a better place. This is definitely a musical that deals with the hard issues of the day – like porn. Be careful who you take with you. Towards the end of the first half there follows what can only be described as the most explicit puppet sex since Team America: World Police. Fair play to the octogenarian couple in front of us who watched it to its logical conclusion.
I think it’s fair to say that the humour here was just about on my level. While some of the Broadway jokes are a little bit lost on the Oxford crowd, at least some effort had been made to adapt it for a UK audience. When one character throws a coin off the Empire State Building, it’s a penny, not a cent.
One thing’s for certain, while it is undoubtedly crude, it is also cleverer than you might think. For instance, there’s a song in there about Schadenfreude. Sure in the context it’s some pretty dark comedy, but it’s also informational. More than anything, it’s a musical a lot of the audience can relate to. 'I wish I could go back to college' – I’m feeling that.
Another quick tip, about three quarters of the way through the musical comes the song 'Give us your money'. Fair warning here, if you don’t want to be poked or prodded; get seats in the circle, not the aisles. Puppets will come down off the stage to fleece the audience. The resolution of the piece came with 'Only for now' – an interested message for such an engaging musical. Essentially, put up with your life because it’s only for now.
In conclusion, the actors did a really good job of holding one puppet and voicing multiple parts in a conversation. This was particularly true in the final number when each puppeteer held two puppets each and sang their respective solos. Confusing much? A really good performance and right on message, just make sure you’re very comfortable with the people you take along.