Avenue Q: Puppets and masters don’t miss beat

Abbey Theatre’s production of Avenue Q has all the pizzazz and daring of the New York tenements that couldn’t be further from Sesame Street.

An Avenue Q virgin, I had little clue of what to expect.

Abbey’s take on the Broadway production is populated by hilarious, foul-mouthed, shagging puppets, and their human supporting cast who don’t miss a beat.

From Andrew Hodgson’s closeted investment banker Rod to Samuel Gordon’s porn-fixated TrekkieMonster, Avenue Q’s puppets are not child-friendly fare.

Instead, it is a familiar story following the conventions of Broadway musical – wide eyed young’un moves to new city, boy meets girl, a seductive siren is the spanner in the works, boy is made destitute, girl breaks her heart – all made much more hilarious told by puppets.

Alexia Clark, barely out of high school, is a heart winner in the leading lady role of Kate Monster.  Her sweet vocals are straight out of Disney and her onstage presence, all sighs and batting eyelashes, could be saccharine, but instead charms.  Her opposite, college graduate Princeton, is portrayed as equal measures preppy and pathetic by Hodgson, who shows his dynamism flitting between the “romantic” lead and confused investment banker Rod.

The ensemble cast showed off an impressive vocal strength on stage amid a brilliant and dynamic set, the comedy constant and never forced, performing to a delighted crowd on their opening night.

Sera Devcich, too, can take a bow as loopy superintendent and former child star Gary Coleman, keeping the audience in stitches with on stage energy to boot.

Steve Sayer’s interpretation of a Broadway favourite is not one to be missed – just don’t bring the kids.

Avenue Q is at Abbey Theatre until December 15.