Avenue Q: A Definite Hit

A great show for adults of all ages.

By Jessica Brynelson
[contributor]

This past week I had the pleasure of attending one of the Surrey Arts Centre’s performances of Avenue Q, the infamously adult-oriented, puppet-ridden musical. It was the show’s first performance at this venue but you certainly couldn’t tell. The cast, both puppet and human alike, were already able to work together like a well-oiled machine and they delivered an absolutely stellar performance. I was especially surprised by how much the minor characters added to the show—the bad idea bears were hilarious in parodying those friends who always make bad ideas sound much more enticing. Another minor character that really brought life to the show was Trekkie Monster, who had me doubled over in laughter during the fan-favourite number, “The Internet is for Porn”.

Contrary to a comment made by the director Peter Jorgensen about how the puppeteers seemingly disappear from the stage, I found that it was hard not to take note of them. However, I did find that their vibrant facial expressions really added to the puppets’ emotions and added some versatility to the stage. Some of the material, as you may well know, is rather risqué (for example, there is an incredibly raunchy puppet sex scene to watch out for), so you may want to be careful about who you choose to see this with. Overall, this highly entertaining performance provided me with an excellent evening filled with laughter and just the right amount of shock.

If you were unable to make it to one of the performances of Avenue Q at the Surrey Arts Centre, you can also see it at its final tour location; Granville Island Stage from Nov. 20 until Jan. 3.