Therefore, it makes sense that now is the time for the West End revival of Avenue Q, Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx's musical comedy following the ups and downs of randy, foul-mouthed puppets.
If you're thinking that the last example doesn't sound terribly appropriate for a puppet show, you'd be correct. Avenue Q, with its foul language, suicide jokes and graphic puppet sex scenes (yes, really) flies in the face of stereotypes, with the biggest laughs coming from the weird juxtaposition between cute puppets and crass jokes about life's harsh realities.
Jeff Whitty's excellent book is peppered with with the perfect amount of profanity and explicit sexual references, used sparingly so the joke doesn't become tired and the shock value lands perfectly each time.
It's less to do with what younger people consider offensive, and more to do with what they consider funny. Take the character of Christmas Eve for example, whose heavily-accented English is often the butt of the joke. While some audience members may find this offensive, many will find it simply not that funny, as talking to people with accented English is a part of most of our daily lives.
The staleness of some of these key comedy moments is what takes this from a five-star production to four stars. It's a hilarious show with catchy musical numbers that provides a surprisingly insightful take on 21st century life in the big city – high praise, but the creative team need to be able to kill some of their darlings in order to garner a cult following with Gen Z.
This just makes the production all the more impressive, as actors seamlessly switch between roles and puppets, all while acting through their own bodies, as well as through the puppet.
The vocal talent is something to behold, especially when it comes to actors playing multiple roles with highly different voices. Emily Benjamin's rendition of Kate Monster's heartfelt ballad There's a Fine, Fine Line sung in Kate's signature squeaky voice couldn't be more different than the smoky tones of Lucy The S**'s Special— and she effortlessly masters them both.
This is of course complemented by Anna Louizos's iconic set, packed full of details that die-hard fans know and love, as well as some brand-new surprises.
As well as these laughs, Avenue Q offers us an insightful and nuanced take on life. Our dreams may or may not come true, we may or may not get the girl, maybe we'll never find our purpose. We're all just looking for community and a sense of humour – and that's something you'll definitely find at Avenue Q.
Buy Avenue Q tickets at LOVEtheatreBuy Avenue Q tickets at TodayTixFor more on the latest UK theatre news, here's our review of Romeo and Juliet starring Sadie Sink, plus how to get Les Misérables Arena Spectacular tickets, starring Michael Ball and Alfie Boe.
It will be running until 29 August 2026.
Buy Avenue Q tickets at LOVEtheatreBuy Avenue Q tickets at TodayTixHow to get Avenue Q tickets
Buy Avenue Q tickets at LOVEtheatreBuy Avenue Q tickets at TodayTix
Fancy more on-stage laughs in 2026? Here's our roundup of the best comedians on tour in 2026.
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