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Avenue Q lessons stand the test of time, says cast

Babs Michel,BBC Three Counties Radioand
Danny Fullbrook,Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire
News imageMatt Crockett Two performers manipulate blue and yellow furry puppet characters during a scene from Avenue Q, with a brick wall set visible behind them.Matt Crockett
Avenue Q made its West End debut in 2006

The current West End cast of Avenue Q say the musical remains relevant 20 years after it first opened in London because society "hasn't moved on quite as much as you'd hope".

Meg Hatley, from Buckinghamshire, plays Mrs T and the Bad Idea Bears in the latest production at London's Shaftesbury Theatre.

She describes the show as a "Sesame Street for adults" which uses puppets and humour to tackle themes such as racism, identity and homophobia.

The performer said: "It's still the same show with the same messages, I think it will last the test of time in that these continue to come around as topics of conversation, and points of contradiction, to lots of people."

News imageMatt Crockett A man stands on stage beside a yellow puppet character dressed in a blue graduation gown and cap, holding a diploma.Matt Crockett
While the show has been tweaked, it largely remains the same and tackles the same themes as it did 20 years ago

Small modern adjustments have been made to the script, including jokes about AI and Facebook Marketplace, to keep things fresh.

Her co-star Noah Harrison, who plays Princeton and Rod, said: "The world surprisingly hasn't changed that much since 20 years ago and we can all relate to this stuff.

"I think tackling these topics, like racism, sexuality, acceptance of self, technology, all these different themes - and attacking them from an angle of comedy is just the best way to tackle them."

News imageWest End Media A woman and man pose in a recording studio with Avenue Q branding displayed on screens behind them.West End Media
Meg Hatley and Noah Harrison have to puppet multiple characters, sometimes voicing two on stage at once

Hatley, who attended dance classes at Jackie Palmer Stage School in High Wycombe during her childhood, had no previous puppetry experience before joining the production.

She said: "We had a three-hour workshop at one point, learning the basics of puppetry, and I think we all came away with sore arms and thinking oh my gosh - what are we in for?"

The cast then spent a week training with professional puppetry coaches to learn how to bring the characters to life.

Harrison added: "Sometimes we're playing characters in the same scene... So I could be holding Princeton in one scene whilst voicing Rod who Meg is on the other side of the stage operating.

"Then as soon as you leave the stage, you run off and you're like, okay I'm changing into a different puppet now, or I have to climb up a ladder now - it's just carnage, it's constant carnage."

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