Everything You Need to Know About AVENUE Q

What is Avenue Q about?

Described as Sesame Street for adults, Avenue Q follows college graduate Princeton, who’s struggling to figure out what to do with his English degree. He finds himself living in a run-down and shabby apartment in New York’s Avenue Q. There he meets and befriends his eccentric, loveable misfit neighbours, including kindergarten teacher Kate, wannabe comedian Brian, slacker Rod, recluse Trekkie Monster, and former child actor turned superintendent Gary Coleman. Together they navigate the highs and lows of adulthood, from finding a job to navigating relationships, and all the joys of sex, alcohol, and pornography.

With a cast composed mostly of puppets, catchy songs, and adult humour, Avenue Q uses its quirky premise to explore themes of racism, sexuality, mental health, and the struggle to reconcile youthful expectations with the realities of adulthood.

Who is the creative team behind Avenue Q?

Avenue Q has music and lyrics by EGOT winner Robert Lopez, whose work includes The Book of Mormon, Frozen, and Coco, and Tony Award winner Jeff Marx, who has worked on television series such as Glee and Scrubs. It has a book by Tony Award winner and Oscar nominee Jeff Whitty, who also worked on Bring It On: The Musical and the critically acclaimed film Can You Ever Forgive Me?.

What awards has Avenue Q won?

Avenue Q premiered on Broadway in 2003 and became an overnight hit. At the 2004 Tony Awards, it won Best Musical (famously beating Wicked), Best Score, and Best Book. It transferred to the West End in 2006 for the next five years, where it had similar success, nominated for an Olivier Award for Best New Musical. It has also been nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album.

What ages is Avenue Q appropriate for?

Despite its cuddly puppets and Sesame Street aesthetics, Avenue Q is very much an adult show. It contains strong language, sexual references, mature themes, and tackles sensitive topics such as racism, homophobia, and mental health with satire and unapologetic honesty. For this reason it’s generally recommended for ages 15 and upwards, but audiences of all ages, especially young adults, will see themselves in the show’s portrayal of the anxieties of growing up.

The puppets of AVENUE Q. Image courtesy of production.

Why do audiences love Avenue Q?

Audiences fell in love with Avenue Q's delightfully unique and quirky concept, instantly connecting with its eccentric but relatable cast of characters. Avenue Q blends adult humour with cuddly puppets and catchy musical numbers to shed a light on the realities and insecurities of adulthood, exploring complex themes in a way that's both light and honest.

It's also a deeply intimate show. Throughout, the puppeteers remain visible, breaking theatrical convention and creating a sense of proximity with the audience and creating a theatrical experience that honest and self aware.

Avenue Q offers a perfect balance of laugh-out-loud comedy and emotional depth, even in its timelessly catchy soundtrack: from the moving 'It Sucks to be Me' to the hilarious 'The Internet is For Porn'.

Fun Facts about Avenue Q

• The character of Gary Coleman is based on real-life child star Gary Coleman, who gave his blessing to have his likeness used before his death.
• Many of the characters are spoofs of iconic Sesame Street characters: Trekkie Monster is an obvious parody of Cookie Monster, while roommates Nick and Rod are meant to parallel Bert and Ernie.
• Jeff Marx actually worked as an intern on Sesame Street, and some of the original cast also performed on the TV show. Avenue Q was developed in workshops with puppeteers who also worked on Sesame Street.
• The puppets originally cost up to $10,000 dollars each, featuring variations of different styles and complexity, and were designed by original cast member Rick Lyon.
• The puppets have their own wrangler to take care of their maintenance, such as brushing Kate’s hair (the only puppet with actual human hair!), and for more serious maintenance, they’re sent back to their original designer Rick Lyon.

Where and when is Avenue Q playing?

The 2026 revival of Avenue Q will open at the Shaftesbury Theatre on March 20th, running until August 29th.

So if you fancy a night full of laughter, music, puppetry, and a sure-fire balm for the trials and tribulations of adulthood, book now to catch this wildly anticipated and utterly one-of-a-kind musical when it returns to London.