HAVING never enjoyed watching anything involving puppets on the TV, I was a little apprehensive about watching the comedy piece Avenue Q. But to my surprise once the story got underway and the singing started, I stopped watching the puppeteers and truly enjoyed it.

At the beginning I didn’t understand how an actor holding a puppet would add to the comedy and thought it would distract, but it really worked.

It tells a story of growing up, dreaming big and finding your purpose in life, but the songs are truly for adults ears and are a surprising mix of topics.

The songs really did have the audience singing along and in parts I couldn’t even hear the singing over the top of the audience’s laughter.

The musical tells the story of a New York street, home to the lively and off the wall characters and the larger than life puppets did add to the fun.

What appeared quite a boring street scene at the start was also full of surprises, with a lot of effort going into every scene to bring the story to life and also to highlight what is going through the puppet’s mind which added to the comedy. 

Credit must be given to the talented puppeteers, who although in parts I forgot to watch as they were over shadowed by their colourful counterparts, they sang with great enthusiasm which rubbed off on the audience who were in fits of laughter throughout. 

Avenue Q remains at the New Theatre in Cardiff until Saturday January 30 and tickets are on sale now.

Book your tickets now, by visiting www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk or calling 02920 878889.