Avenue Q – Old Joint Stock, Birmingham

Book: Jeff Whitty

Music and Lyrics: Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx

Director: Adam Lacey

Avenue Q premiered off-Broadway in 2003 and subsequently won Best Musical, Book and Score in the 2004 Tony Awards. At the time, its parody of Sesame Street to address serious social issues must have been incredibly fresh, and not a little shocking – it’s hard not to uncomfortably recognise oneself in many of the songs. Since then, it has played all over the world to considerable acclaim. But is it still relevant today, and can a small-scale production do it justice? The latest offering from the Old Joint Stock would seem to answer both questions with a resounding ‘Yes’.

Princeton has just graduated college with no idea what he wants to do. He finds himself renting in Avenue Q (he worked his way down the alphabet having found Avenue A too expensive). He becomes part of the community there: would-be comedian Brian and his fiancée Christmas Eve, a counsellor with no clients; Kate Monster, a kindergarten teaching assistant, and Trekkie Monster, both of whom happen to be literal monsters; Rod and Nicky who share a flat and Gary Coleman, who, having fallen on hard times, finds himself the building superintendent. Of these, only Brian, Christmas Eve and Gary Coleman are ‘human’ characters; the rest are puppets in the Sesame St mould (indeed, it’s hard not to imagine Trekkie Monster as the Cookie Monster, albeit with a different obsession, and Rod and Nicky bring Bert and Ernie to mind). What unites all the characters is a need to move on, to improve their lots. As they try to navigate their way through life, they deal with relationships, internet porn, racism, homosexuality, even schadenfreude. If this sounds heavy, the heavyweight issues are addressed through songs with indefatigably cheerful and eminently hummable melodies. This is indeed a show that smiles with a sly wink at its own naughtiness.

The Old Joint Stock’s intimate space turns out to suit the show very well. It’s staged in thrust which brings the action right into the faces of the audience but it also means that when several puppet characters and their puppeteers are on stage together the sightlines of some can be compromised.

Director Adam Lacey and choreographer Pippa Lacey together ensure a brisk pace with excellent use of the available space and unobtrusive transitions: occasionally, a puppeteer needs to switch characters quickly, and that takes place without fuss or interruption to the flow.

Ben Hutt brings a naïve vulnerability to Princeton: his wooing of Kate Monster (Rebecca Withers) is believable as they both try to awkwardly come to terms with their feelings – especially in the face of Lucy the Slut, also operated by Withers, whose club act turns Princeton’s head, at least for a time. Withers ensures that Lucy and Kate are differentiated, coping with scenes between them both very well. Hutt and Withers have extremely fine, powerful voices too. Bradley Walwyn brings us a thoughtful Nicky while Rod is played sympathetically by Hutt, making their relationship especially poignant.

Thomas Cove brings an exuberance to Brian as well as another exceptional voice; Etheria Chan’s Christmas Eve is a finely judged caricature, just avoiding stepping over the line. Hannah Victoria brings sass to Gary Coleman as well as a certain pathetic quality. All in all, this is a production that really gels and one can’t help but feel uplifted by it.

With this slick, professional production the Old Joint Stock can consider itself as, like the Avenue Q characters, having truly come-of-age.

Runs until 21 August 2021