Puppetry - Whats The Show

AVENUE Q – hold on to your puppets!

10 March 2025 Debra Campbell

AVENUE Q Rating

★★★★★

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Avenue Q – Hmmm …?? Ummm…?? Grab your…. Ahhh…

Lots of prior guessing what this show would give to an 18+ adults-only with ‘puppets behaving badly’ …. I had never seen it before nor heard of it, yet in Broadway history it beat out Wicked, how was that possible? This is puppets looking similar to those you’d see on Sesame Street! Mind you, they definitely don’t have the same vocabulary.

Get ready to LAUGH!!! I’m not actually a huge fan of explicit content and sexual innuendos in shows, hence a lot of stand-up comedy nowdays doesn’t entice me, but this was a musical, so I couldn’t possibly not go. I got good seats and took my hubby (driving in he asked me what it was and when I said from the information I had it was like an adult version of Muppets, I think he stopped far longer at the red light than needed, hmmm….).

There’s no hiding explicit content and sexual innuendos in Avenue Q, they are in nearly every scene, but as its expressed from puppets I thought it was very FUNNY and even more CLEVER!

Something I’d never think we would hear about in a musical was open loud reference to ‘porn’. With a whole comical song on the topic, the audience were in stitches and the guys sitting in front of us were almost rolling out of their seats. You’ll have to go experience that part as I don’t want to conjure up anything not quite accurate here – I was also laughing so much at the huge porn-loving puppet I probably lacked concentration whilst watching. I don’t know how the actors on stage with him practiced at rehearsals, but I’ll bet it was nothing like anything they’d done before.

Talented and adaptable is an understatement of this cast. To be able to hold a puppet and portray a character isn’t something I imagine many performers could pull off with the kind of confidence and interaction they do, but especially to sing and move in conjunction with another actor holding the adjoining arm of the same puppet; their timing was spot on!

There are non-puppet characters too – a hoot is “Gary Coleman” in a parody of the real-life child star with the same name; he’s the ‘maintenance man’ of the apartments on Avenue Q where hopefuls, lovers and friends live their ordinary lives in New York city. Having grown up with that child star on my TV, his lines made perfect sense to me for a bit of a giggle.

‘Sucks To Be Me’ was my favourite scene, because everyone thinks that of themselves at some time in their lives, but let’s be honest, there’s always someone worse off than you are. The show has many messages of a similar tongue-in-cheek nature, however the underlying theme is a timeless story of not giving up hope (that’s like Sesame Street HAHA).

Funnily, you may want to close your eyes or look away occasionally or you might find yourself staring jaw-dropped at the stage figuring it all out. It’s a sexy romp of puppetry at times and just super cool fun at others, songs with catchy tunes and notes with punch – a sing out to Cassie Ogle playing vixen ‘Lucy’, what a voice!

If you are thinking that you don’t like the sound of possibly ‘sex obsessed’ puppets on stage, it’s really not too over the top (Avenue Q is from the 2000s and we didn’t do overly confronting back then). You could go with your mother-in-law, but a group of friends would absolutely have one hilarious night out to remember.

Another thing about ‘AG Theatre’ productions that stands out for me is the atmosphere they create in the foyer pre and post show. You can take photos on their backdrop board (with the puppets) and pin those all over your social media to puzzle your friends not lucky enough to go along.

Avenue Q is a must-see, and if you’re into going out in theme, wear your wigs and puppet ears (you won’t the only one). The show has just been extended to play at the National Theatre in St Kilda until 22 March 2025. Tickets via https://agtheatre.com.au/avenueq/

This was one comedy I loved, thank you for a very fun night.

Congratulations everyone!

CAST:
Princeton: Harley Dasey
Kate Monster: Zoe Crisp
Nicky & Trekkie: Andrew McDougall
Rod: Jonathon Shilling
Lucy & Mrs T: Cassie Ogle
Bad Idea Bear & Puppeteer: Perri Espinoza
Bad Idea Bear: Darcy Harriss
Brian: Matthew Tomlin
Xmas Eve: Chiew-Jin Khut
Gary Coleman: Stephanie Lacerna
Swings: Liimei Lim, Jake Lonergan

Production Team:
Executive Producer: Andrew Gyopar
Director: Pip Mushin
Music Director: Alexandra Byrne
Choreographer & Assistant Director: Adriana Pannuzzo
Production Design: Abbey Stanway
Costume Design: Karen Spencer
Puppet Design & Creation: Andrew McDougall
Graphic Design: Jett Archer

AVENUE Q
Music & Lyrics by Jeff Marx & Robert Lopez
Book by Jeff Whitty
Licensed exclusively by Music Theatre International (Australasia)

Photo credits: @agtheatreproductions

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

Debra Campbell

Robin Hood: A New Family Musical

4 March 20253 March 2025 Oscar Bray

Robin Hood Rating

★★★★★

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If you turn the corner in Malvern’s Central Park in the late morning, you’re greeted by winding ropes cordoning off islands to seat picnic blankets or chairs. You’ll also see set pieces straight from a primary school play: a tiny wooden island and cajón drum, green and brown paint-spattered cloths tied to trees, and details like fake rocks and a shelf of plastic food with the sign SHERIFFS PANTRY.

The team behind Melbourne Shakespeare Company’s Robin Hood uses this sequestered woody space to its fullest to craft a whimsical, ramshackle and original take on a classic story.

Robin (Billy Thomas), Dame Tuck (Jackson Cross) and Little Joan (Lucy May Knight) are going about their usual business of robbing the rich to feed the poor. But when they are caught stealing from the Sheriff of Nottingham (Kaia Reyes), he devises a new punishment: shipping them off to Australia.

There, the merry men, with the help of Bushranger Bruce (Daniel Hillman), must acclimatize to a strange new world and find their way back home. The beginning feels slow and the different scenes are somewhat disconnected and potentially difficult for a child audience to follow, but it was a pleasant surprise to see a slightly different narrative in a panto show.

The ensemble is charming and navigates their stage perfectly. Every line is audible, every slapstick gag is visible and tight, and every spectator gets close-up moments with the characters. Lucy May Knight as Little Joan stands out with a bubbly yet sharp physicality that’s perfect for panto.

The world-building was also fantastic at blending a familiar and fun Aussie context into a classic story. The adorable Australian animal puppets were a highlight, while all the pop culture references and self-referential jokes landed well with the adult audience.

Maxwell Simon’s (Muriel’s Wedding) original score is fun and full of laugh-out-loud lines, but there was only one song where the children were directly encouraged to play along. It felt like the whole show missed out on many opportunities for audience participation, and this led to some clear confusion and lost attention among the kids at some points.

While Robin Hood has its moments of missed potential, it’s definitely a worthwhile and unique experience for the theatre-loving family. It’s a scrappy, feel-good show that keeps the much-loved traditions of panto alive in a timeless yet modern story for an audience of all ages.

To book tickets to Robin Hood, please visit https://www.melbourneshakespeare.com/robinhood

Photography: Sare Clarke Photography

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

Oscar Bray

Peter And The Starcatcher

15 November 2024 Rebecca Rose

Peter And The Starcatcher Rating

★★★★★

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Ever wonder how Peter Pan came to be in Neverland? Or how he got his name? Or the exact means by which Captain Hook ‘acquired’ (or perhaps I should more accurately say, ‘required’) his hook? Well, wonder no more, as ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’ gives us the prequel to Peter Pan that we never knew we needed to cover all of these questions and more.

Winner of 5 Tony awards, and written by Rick Elise, Peter and the Starcatcher is a feast for all the senses, and a production the whole family can enjoy.

Although the play is a prequel to Peter Pan, you really don’t even have to know anything about Peter Pan (but I think everyone knows the story, whether they want to admit it or not!) to enjoy this production as a stand-alone story. But of course, knowing the story and characters of Peter Pan will make the show much more enjoyable; you’ll simply get so much more out of the very clever writing and humour.

The story begins out at sea, and you’ll be forgiven for taking a bit of time to get up to speed with the characters and story, as you are thrown right into the depths of this fast-paced production from the start. But once you orient yourself with the different characters and how they relate to the well-loved classic, Peter Pan, you can sit back and enjoy the ride.

And what a ride it is! The show is a feast for the senses with beautifully crafted sets, costumes, music, and stunning puppets. There is dancing, singing, live musicians on stage, and oh, the humour and comedy!

The show is marketed for all ages, including kids 8 years and older. But I would question how much the younger kids would actually understand. It is a fast-paced show, especially in the dialogue, which is extremely well written. Almost every line seems to have some sort of joke, pun, or reference linked to it, and with the fast pace of it all, I am sure I missed some of them. So although the kids may not understand it all, there is still so much they can enjoy visually and musically from this production.

Having live music played on stage was lovely, and weaving the musicians in and out of the scenes on the rolling pianos and stages was a nice touch.

The puppets were a beautiful addition to the play, really adding a lovely magical feel. And the actors did a great job in the puppetry on stage, brining to life a variety of animals.

The different sets, lighting, and costumes were a visual smorgasbord and feast for the eyes. Talk about some impressive costumes (keep an eye out for the mermaids!).

The cast were a joy to watch together, with some very strong performances shining though.

Olivia Deeble commanded the stage and really showcased her amazing talents in acting, singing, and dancing. She really is brilliant as the leading young lady, Molly: the character who we learn turns out to be the mother of Wendy in the Peter Pan we are familiar with.

Colin Lane was another standout performance and brilliantly cast as the hilarious ‘Black Stache’, the pirate captain who we know as Captain Hook. Lane stole the show with his witty humour; at times clearly off-book with some jokes, but never allowing it to be out of line with the show or his character.

If you are looking for a show that brings you a lot of joy, magic, and laughter, Peter and the Starcatcher is just what you need. A great production to bring the whole family along to enjoy.

Peter And The Starcatcher is playing now until the 1st December.

To purchase tickets please visit https://peterandthestarcatcher.com.au/

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

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