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This evening, Tuesday 31 January, I visited Theatre Royal Bath to watch Avenue Q which has returned to the theatre almost exactly a year since it started its UK tour there in February 2011.

Avenue Q is a musical quite unlike any other; from the moment the curtain rises on Anna Louizos’s beautifully designed set, depicting a row of houses in one of New York’s poorer districts, it is impossible not to be reminded of Sesame Street and that feeling is reinforced when the combined cast of humans and puppets take to the stage and when screens occasionally drop into view to show short cartoon clips. However Avenue Q is a far more adult environment than Sesame Street ever was.

The residents of Avenue Q are a group of 20 to 30 somethings, some of them are human and others are people of fur (monsters); each one is convinced that, for various reasons, their lives suck more than anyone else’s.  The newest kid on the block is Princeton, fresh out of university and unsure what he can do with a BA in English; after losing his new job before he even gets to start he decides that he needs to find his purpose in life.

The story follows the group of neighbours as they encounter many of life’s more complex issues including love, relationships and what it’s like to feel a bit different.

Avenue Q does contain some swearing and a scene that includes puppet sex, it’s not offensive in any way but audience members do require a relatively open mind.  It is not suitable for children under the age of 12.

Avenue Q is a very clever show.  The actors animating and voicing the puppets are always visible but interact so naturally with each other, and with the human characters in the cast, that after a few minutes each controller and puppet merges into one character.  Even though the controllers all control more than one puppet, and often voice one puppet while moving another, it somehow doesn’t get confusing.  Sam Lupton, playing both Princeton and Rod, was particularly impressive, his characterisation for each role spot on and his facial expressions often mirroring those of his puppets.

The show contains a host of catchy tunes, written by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, each one dealing with quite serious issues in a light-hearted way, and often making you think “oh my goodness, that is so true”, songs such as If You Were Gay; Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist and Schadenfraude, the latter being German for “happiness at the misfortune of others.”   I especially enjoyed Katharine Moraz, as Kate Monster, singing There’s A Fine Fine Line and Matthew J Henry, playing Gary the superintendent, has a really lovely singing voice.  Credit must go to the band – Mark Smith, Tom Gearing, Matt Leaver and Robbie Gibson – whose performance throughout the show was flawless; it was good to see them take their moment in the spotlight during the final bows.

As the show ends the Avenue Q residents find out that it feels good to help other people and that whatever you are going through in life, “it’s only for now.”

I have to confess that this wasn’t the first time I had watched Avenue Q, I saw the show in both Bath and Bristol last year, but third time around it still held the same appeal, still made me smile and laugh, and I would still happily go back and watch it again.

The Theatre Royal did seem a little quiet tonight and I wonder if this return visit is maybe a bit early, but, whether you’ve seen the show before or you’re an Avenue Q virgin, I would certainly recommend getting tickets and catching the show before its final performance at the theatre on Sunday 05 February.

For further details, including performance times and ticket prices, and to book online, please visit www.theatreroyal.org.uk.