Avenue Q (Norbury Players)
Quite regularly described as 'Sesame Street for Adults' it's unlikely that another show with quite the likeable irreverence and mockery of Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx's 'Avenue Q' will ever have the same impact both on the professional and amateur scene. Audiences simply laughing out loud at subjects that in any other medium might be classed as insensitive or unacceptable is a rare sight to behold but, I have to say a welcome one, proving that theatre can be used to portray something different to stereotypicality and still be entertaining.
Norbury Players have grasped this opportunity with both hands and created a production that delivers that entertainment value in bucketfuls, whether it is Jake Jones's naive yet adventurous Princeton or Holly Christian-Brookes's energetic and sublimely voiced Kate Monster, there is superb characterisation across the cast, something particularly difficult to portray when that character is in fact a puppet.
Those who get to play the human element, Simon Axon as a comical yet confident Brian, Jennifer Chow as a delightfully cryptic 'Asian American' (not Oriental !) Christmas Eve and Rachel Bloomer's physically inaccurate yet highly convincing persona as Gary Coleman, probably have the slightly less complex yet equally vital on stage roles.
Sam Jeffrey conjures up a highly entertaining performance as ‘closet homosexual’ Rod alongside Tom Paine’s drily droll Nicky, Bella Cook and Sophie Vick are convincingly devilish as the Bad Idea Bears and Luke Mills is a suitably loud and exuberant Trekkie Monster. I’m convinced Lydia Padbury’s ‘Lucy the Slut’ could quite probably make you feel special in some way, almost as much as Glynis Smith’s ‘Mrs Thistletwat’ could scare you witless and complete the cast with Melanie Brown, Matthew Jeffery and Vivienne Bull who play a number of vital supporting roles without which there would be no show at all.
If the programme is anything to go by this is the first musical that Director, Kirsty Bull has attempted and frankly you wouldn’t know and one would hope it wouldn’t be the last, effortlessly supported by Ben Thompson as Musical Director.
Whilst the Norbury Theatre in Droitwich is a relatively small venue that provides a certain intimacy for a production that really shouldn’t be missed for so many reasons, so grab your tickets before the run closes on Saturday 23rd June 2018.
Book Here
Norbury Players have grasped this opportunity with both hands and created a production that delivers that entertainment value in bucketfuls, whether it is Jake Jones's naive yet adventurous Princeton or Holly Christian-Brookes's energetic and sublimely voiced Kate Monster, there is superb characterisation across the cast, something particularly difficult to portray when that character is in fact a puppet.
Those who get to play the human element, Simon Axon as a comical yet confident Brian, Jennifer Chow as a delightfully cryptic 'Asian American' (not Oriental !) Christmas Eve and Rachel Bloomer's physically inaccurate yet highly convincing persona as Gary Coleman, probably have the slightly less complex yet equally vital on stage roles.
Sam Jeffrey conjures up a highly entertaining performance as ‘closet homosexual’ Rod alongside Tom Paine’s drily droll Nicky, Bella Cook and Sophie Vick are convincingly devilish as the Bad Idea Bears and Luke Mills is a suitably loud and exuberant Trekkie Monster. I’m convinced Lydia Padbury’s ‘Lucy the Slut’ could quite probably make you feel special in some way, almost as much as Glynis Smith’s ‘Mrs Thistletwat’ could scare you witless and complete the cast with Melanie Brown, Matthew Jeffery and Vivienne Bull who play a number of vital supporting roles without which there would be no show at all.
If the programme is anything to go by this is the first musical that Director, Kirsty Bull has attempted and frankly you wouldn’t know and one would hope it wouldn’t be the last, effortlessly supported by Ben Thompson as Musical Director.
Whilst the Norbury Theatre in Droitwich is a relatively small venue that provides a certain intimacy for a production that really shouldn’t be missed for so many reasons, so grab your tickets before the run closes on Saturday 23rd June 2018.
Book Here
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