Avenue Q at Upstairs at the Gatehouse Theatre

Ovation presents Avenue Q, at Upstairs at the Gatehouse, a 128-seat fringe venue, above The Gatehouse Pub, in Highgate, north London, from 16 May to 30 June 2013.

Music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx , Book by Jeff Whitty. Directed by John Plews, designed by Suzi Lombardelli , choreography by Grant Murphy, lighting by Aaron J Dootson , sound by Jon Raper .

AVENUE Q is not the most upmarket of New York streets, and is about as far away from Park Avenue as you can get, but it is home to some lively and off the wall characters performed by an unholy comedic alliance of humans and puppets! Princeton, a bright-eyed college graduate, has just moved to this neighbourhood as he desperately tries to follow his dreams and discover his ever-elusive purpose in life. A tiny bank balance, the distraction of a busty blonde and a variety of weird and wonderful friends and neighbours lead Princeton on a hilarious story of self-discovery. Life may suck on AVENUE Q but being jobless, homeless, politically incorrect, having sex (whether hetero, homo or porno… and that’s just the puppets) are just some of the topics featured in the songs of this show.

- by Darren Dalglish