*****
Lots of my theatrical friends, I
have one or two, say I do not like musicals. It ain’t never, ever, been true. I
love a good one as much as anyone. My problem, particularly on the amateur stage,
was that many were devoid of imagination in choice or presentation. Or, even
worse, both. If you are regurgitating an Annie or Oliver for the umpteenth time
you need to put a special twist on it to grab me by the fundamentals. But old
or new, spin it with verve and creativity and I can be as hooked as the biggest
musical fan. My favourite musical evenings have ranged from Stephen Sondheim to
Lionel Bart, from The Drowsy Chaperone to Chorus Line, from Carousel to Chess.
All different, but all with the commonality of gobsmacking style. Took one in
this week. An everyday story of young folks searching for that elusive American
dream in a downmarket New York City borough. The human condition writ small and
detailed. Absolutely loved the whole evening and, disturbingly, went home
thinking deeply about their emotional frailties and traumas. So what, you may
say, good theatre does that. But this was a group of woolly puppets, a bit of
colourful cloth with hands up their imaginary backsides, for God’s sake. Avenue Q, the smash hit puppet musical and its richly rounded and flawed
characters surprisingly touched me as deeply as any in a well crafted drama. I
really should get out more. Or maybe less. Am seeing my shrink tomorrow. In saying this I am applauding
the actors who were on stage with them. They were the ones saying the lines and
singing the songs, but it was the colourful puppets you concentrated on. Those
actors would not have had it any other way. You felt for Kate Monster (Lucy
O’Hare) as she desperately and willingly threw herself at the man of her
dreams, the likeable and troubled Princeton (Ashley Mead). He searched
frantically for his purpose in life and, along the way, had the most amazing on
stage bonk with his Kate. You could only do it with puppets. My favourite
character Rod (Simon Rollings) was so uptight about his obvious homosexuality
that his pitiful self denial led to him throwing his flat mate Nicky (James
Halling/Helen Maile) on to the streets. You have made that nice boy homeless,
you bastard, I felt like shouting. And homelessness, like racism, homophobia,
internet porn and money were key features of this Sesame Street for adults.
Even Schadenfraude, look it up, got a mention. It pleases me immensely not to
tell you what that means, unhelpful soul that I am. But I will tell you that as well
as the main puppet characters we got a wonderfully gross and foul mouthed
Trekkie (Joshua Thompson/Anna Woods), the neighbour from hell, and a feisty
Scottish schoolteacher with the super name of Mrs Thistletwat (Alana McKenna). Billed
as Mrs T in the programme but I am sure I heard this right. I sincerely hope
so. I wasn’t a big fan of Blue and Yellow Bear (Kim Albone/Katy Elliott).
Nothing to do with those ladies, both fine actresses, but their screechy bad
idea consciences for Princeton interfered with an absorbing story of street
folk. Just my opinion but I reckon those characters would appeal more to kids
and a kids show Avenue Q is not. You wouldn’t get Lucy the Slut (Jenna
Ryder-Oliver) at any kiddie’s party. This diva flaunted sex as a weapon of
choice and necessity. And she flounced offstage in beautiful symmetry with her
shadowy puppeteer. Two flounces for the price of one cannot be bad. Perhaps, on
second thoughts, modern, computer savvy, five year olds would like that. They
flounce around a lot in Waitrose. In a show rich in ethnicity it is
hardly surprising that we also had humans in a variety of shades. Only three,
but they mingled well with those of the puppet races. Oh that real life could
be like that, he says wistfully. Paul Rogers was a little too underpowered as
the well meaning but pretty useless comedian Brian but Susan Young made for an
interesting slant as a Japanese Christmas Eve and Damien Winchester was an
engaging Gary. Childhood success followed by dismal adult failure was the
downward theme of Gary’s troubled life and in a show with many subtle and not
so subtle messages this young man’s was one. Mr Winchester sang brightly and
acted sprightly. His is a local name to watch. Remember you heard it here
first. I shan’t list all the songs. Too
many, and if none are hit parade material all were relevant and jolly and all
sung with style and energy. I particularly liked ‘If You Were Gay’ (Nicky and Rod), ‘The Internet is for Porn’ (Trekkie Monster), ‘There’s a Fine, Fine Line’ (Kate) and ‘The Money Song’ but none jarred and the lyrics were clever. Click,
click, hold your dick, won’t win any literary prizes but it appealed to my
dirty mind. Overall director Chris Young and Choreographer Lynette Driver did a
super job with a show which must have been fraught with technical and
presentational difficulties. They had the essential tool in Paul Jomain’s
quintessential puppets but, helped by a clever technical team, they had to sell
it to an audience in which disbelief has to be suspended and a special
narrative embraced. That they succeeded owes much to their precision, let down
only briefly in act two scene changes, and the commitment and talent of the
actors controlling the puppets. After the first few minutes on stage I was not
conscious that they were there. I was in thrall to the joys and frustrations,
the pleasures and the pain, of the lives of Kate Monster and Princeton, of
Nicky and Rod. That is the heart of the success of Avenue Q. Do it right, and
DAOS did, and we believe in and love those bits of cloth. I am telling my psychiatrist
tomorrow. I think she will change my tablets. Roy Hall
Wendy Says - ' I just loved the Trekkie Monster, so wonderfully foulmouthed.'
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