Avenue Q

There was a buzz of anticipation and excitement in the opening night’s full-house audience signalling a great season ahead. From curtain-up the show rose to our expectations. Avenue Q is a great choice for this intimate, welcoming theatre.

It is definitely a generation Y show ─ situations, speech patterns, lifestyles, attitudes and the TV backgrounds of the characters. The multi-talented young cast of twelve bounced onto the stage and carried us along with them. Sure there were a few opening night technical glitches but the actors performed through them or improvised round them.

This show is infectious. It’s about 20-somethings trying to find their niche in life. And of course it’s about sex ─ why else the THIS IS NOT A KIDS' SHOW warning?

The programme credits Dunedin Fortune Theatre from whom Arts Theatre hired the puppets and allied technical effects (a timely move while Arts Theatre was undergoing relocation of their costume department). But local actors and show band instrumentalists made it the seductive night-out attraction that will draw patrons.

I congratulate Director, Miranda Selwood, Choreographer, Lauren Ware and Musical Director, Luke Volker for pulling the show together. I’d like to isolate individual performers, but how can you separate muppet/puppets from their manipulators? In that cast there are twelve potential professionals acting their hearts out. Support them! Enjoy them!

Jay McKee

Jack Kelly as Princeton, with Sean Martin & Sara Anderson as Bad Idea Bears & Kieran Davey with Brett Hansen as Trekki Monster, and Rebecca Lindsay as Lucy The Slut. Photographer: Stephan Cooper-Fox.