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Stars explained: * A production of no real merit
with failings in all areas. ** A production showing evidence of not
enough time or effort, or even talent, and which never breathes any real
life into the piece – or a show lumbered with a terrible script. *** A
good enjoyable show which might have some small flaws but has largely
achieved what it set out to do.**** An excellent show which shows a
great deal of work and stage craft with no noticeable or major
flaws.***** A four star show which has found that extra bit of magic
which lifts theatre to another plane. |
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A
fabulous
night of furry fun
Avenue Q
Highbury Theatre Centre
Sutton Coldfield
***** I
CAME to this production cold, knowing nothing about the show, having
little regard for puppets, and a disregard for much American humour.
Little did
I know how much my theatrical spirit would be enriched and my views
changed over the proceeding two and a half hours! Avenue Q is a down-market New
York street inhabited by humans and puppets. The show revolves around
Princeton, a college graduate searching for a purpose amidst his penury,
surrounded by a nymphomaniac puppet, a masturbating monster and a Korean
harridan, amongst others. It is an adults only
production which draws on the idealistic world of children’s television
characters, and then imagines what will happen when they grow up. The cast consists of three
human characters and eleven puppet characters who interact as if human,
Sesame Street-style. The puppets are animated and voiced by
actor/puppeteers who are present, unconcealed, onstage, but remain
invisible relative to the storyline. The same puppet may be
operated by different puppeteers in different scenes, and the actor
voicing the puppet may not be the one animating it. One puppeteer
sometimes voices two or more puppets simultaneously. Conversely, the
so-called live-hands puppets require two puppeteers — again, in full
view of the audience. It is a complex show to stage, but six months in
rehearsal pay off. Highbury Theatre itself is a
little gem, tucked away on the Sutton Coldfield/ Erdington border.
Modern and well appointed, the higgledy-piggledy café and lounge bar
provide plenty of space for refreshment, whilst the auditorium itself is
up to date, with comfortable seating and well raked tiers. Producers Keith Hayes and Nigel Higgs have gone the extra mile on production values, and are paid back in spades. A professional set has been
impo The cast are divided into two teams for the two week run, such are the demands of the production. What Do You Do with a B.A. in English? asks jobless graduate Princeton Unsurprisingly the colourful
puppets are superb, operated by black clad actors, but with both acting,
meaning that there are often twice as many expressions to observe as
people on stage. Although a musical, the libretto is strong and
humorous, reaching out way beyond its American origins with some neat
contemporary and local references added in. But it is the songs which
shine. Everyone is a little racist sometimes is painfully funny
with lines such as Ethnic jokes might be uncouth but you laugh
because they're based on truth. However the stand out moment
is the outrageously crude show-stopper, You Can Be as loud as the
hell you want When You’re Makin Love..
The sight of puppets bent over a table at it, their puppeteers bent over
the table simulating being at it, whilst other puppets perform oral sex,
and a monster masturbates while watching, is not standard theatre fare,
and had the entire audience roaring with laugher at the ever increasing
contortions on the puppets, and puppeteers’,faces. The large and rotating cast
deliver a tour de force as an ensemble, with no weak links. On the
night, Liz Webster, an actress for whom amplification is usually
unnecessary, was outstanding as Korean harridan Christmas Eve. She convincingly terrifies
fiancé Brian (Richard Beckett) throughout, yet sings a beautiful solo,
and duet (with Kate Monster), When You Ruv Someone. Karisse
Willets delights as Kate Monster, and Suzy Donnelly sways and sashays a
treat as Lucy the Slut. Richard Ham holds things together nicely as
Princeton and Dave Fox’s Gary Coleman is streetwise and fun.
Counterpointing the main characters, Dave Carey and Mark Murphy are a
wonderful comic double act as the onanistic Trekkie Monster, and Duncan
McLaurie offers a poignant, sensitive portrayal of Rod the closet gay
who retains his friendship with Nicky, nicely played by Simon Baker. The original production was
conceived by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, but it is this terrific
company, and Keith Hayes vision which shine through. A great show,
memorably realised, offering laughs, reflection, coming of age
poignancy, and good old fashioned bawdiness, a brilliant night’s
entertainment. Avenue Q is on at the Highbury
Theatre Centre until February 28. To book tickets call 07931 033661 or
visit www.avenueq.org. Gary Longden
26-02-15 |
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rted
rather than an improvised constructed version being built, the puppets
are the bespoke creations made by Paul Jomain for the West End run, and
instruction on how to use them was provided first hand by West End
puppeteer Nigel Plaskitt.