Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

Cast: Stephen Arden, Sarah Harlington, Arina II, Richard Lowe, Richard Morse, Jessica Parker, Etisyai Philip, Rhiane Drummond, Gracie Lai, Cameron Sharp, Josh Tevendale.

Life is complicated, life is not always a bed of roses, neither is it a series of petals that cover up a piece of human anatomy at a time; life, like Time, is brutal, funny, sarcastic and sometimes downright terrifying, we have no way to control it, we have no way to subject it to our own whims; when you share a planet with seven billion other souls, getting everything you want is impossible and for that life is so much more interesting than ever.

Anywhere in the world, down any street, in any home across any road or cul-de-sac, people just do what they can to survive and perhaps have that little ray of sunshine come into their lives, for the residents of Avenue Q, the sunshine, laughter and complications come hand in hand with impeccable charm and the odd bit of memory that resides when as children shows like Sesame Street and The Muppets had all the answers.

Avenue Q is one of those rare moments on stage when to be offended is perhaps to be understood and yet the offence is not in how the simple observations of race, creed, colour, sexual orientation or supposed thought can be seen but by the very nature the offence is that we have subjected ourselves to become so insular that any small word can be seen as an injustice; it takes the cuteness of a felt puppets to show this in action.

With a score that is uplifting and good fun for the audience, songs such as What Do You Do with a B.A. in English?, If You Were Gay, The Internet Is For Porn, My Girlfriend Who Lives In Canada and Schadenfreude all come together to give a slice of real life that is both heartfelt and shockingly amusing.

Whilst the audience’s eyes are on the muppet stars, the human interaction does not and should not go unnoticed. Sarah Harlington’s performance as Kate Monster and Lucy The Slut was impressive and Richard Lowe’s mastery of puppet feeling was gracefully shown as Rod, the uptight in the closet gay Republican; a fantastic show of unity and timing in which all in the Empire Theatre audience succumbed to the point, that of true friendships.

A superb show, Avenue Q is a rare treat.

Ian D. Hall