Avenue Q

Well, Christmas in York was followed by New Year in London, which culminated in a trip to the West End to see Avenue Q. This is a musical, with puppets and people, kind of based on Sesame Street but not authorised or approved in any manner by The Jim Henson Company or Sesame Street Workshop. And I have to say that it is utterly fantastic!

Why is it fantastic? Well, it's totally irreverent, hilarious, and pretty filthy in places. The songs are catchy and the lyrics are hilarious, the actors and puppeteers are all brilliant and so talented, and the whole technique of the thing is awesome: at times an actor operating one puppet would be using the voice of another (operated by someone else), or having a conversation with themselves as different characters. In fact, it was so great that just the thought of it has been making me grin randomly for days.

It all sounds mad, I'm sure, but don't take my word for it: watch the video. I know I ask a lot of you, dear readers, but please watch this clip. I guarantee that you'll love it.

Friends think that this is the start of my love affair with musicals in general, but I have to say that despite the near-critical mass of pro-musical agitators at home, this is unlikely to continue. I mean, I have sat through the odd Rodgers and Hammerstein film, and even seen bits of that Maria business, but I still find it very hard to warm to the idea.