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Avenue Q
Malvern Theatres
**** ALIENATION, despair and the search for
meaning and purpose in life are themes that ostensibly Avenue Q is
exploring in a light-hearted manner. It uses such themes as a hanging-frame for some
lively, modern and risqué songs, and humour that appeals to a younger
audience than many shows passing through the Festival Theatre in
Malvern. This is a brilliant example of puppetry used to
vivid and very clever effect, where the puppeteers are plainly visible
alongside the characters they are projecting through the puppets. There
is a basic storyline which introduce a range of largely young characters
who are on a journey to discover meaning and direction in their confused
lives. The central pair of young man and young woman
move from two lonely characters meeting and having a one-night stand, to
a couple collaborating in a charitable and educational venture through
which they find greater significance to their existence and their
somewhat romantic but unstable relationship. The musical touches on a variety of themes in a
politically dubious manner: racism, gays, anti-semitism, pornography . .
. it both revels in and scorns various forms of prejudice through its
humour. The use of puppetry provides a medium in which the writers can
portray crude elements such as oral sex and very non-PC attitudes and
permissive humour. The actors in this show are extremely skilful in
a variety of ways. Most of them are actors, singers and puppeteers in a
powerful combination. They switch characters in a twinkle and adopt the
new accent and tone in a second. From Richard Lowe (Princeton/Rod) and
Sarah Harlington (Kate Monster/Lucy the Slut) as lead performers with
their excellent voices, through to the ensemble players, all
demonstrated huge versatility, control and enthusiasm. The songs are catchy, lively and witty, the music
is played with great skill by the small band led by Dean McDermott, the
lighting very atmospheric and the designer uses screens to project words
and images to add humour and clarity. The set cleverly presents the
street (Avenue) face of the community, but by means of various doors and
hatches, reveals aspects of the interiors as well. This musical depicts mostly young people on a
journey to self-discovery; some find love and commitment, some identify
their sexual orientation, some discover purpose in something beyond
themselves as they make donations to a cause larger than themselves, and
pioneer a charitable project to help others in need or vulnerable in
their growth. However this is not a work that in any way
projects a moral message; it rather sets out to entertain with the
risqué, the coarse and the vulgar. It succeeded in attracting an
audience who are younger and less frequently seen in the stalls at the
Festival Theatre. 17-10-15 Timothy Crow
12-10-15
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