This is London October 2026 - Flipbook - Page 31
20TH ANNIVERSARY OF AVENUE Q
There are just 17 weeks left to see the
critically acclaimed West End return of
Avenue Q at the Shaftesbury Theatre,
where it will play its final performance
on Sunday 3 January. The multi-awardwinning production returned to London,
bringing the original Broadway puppets
back to the stage for a limited season to
celebrate the 20th anniversary, and was
extended into the new year due to
popular demand.
Producers Kevin McCollum and
Jamie Wilson said: ‘We have been
thrilled by the response to Avenue Q’s
return to the West End, and it has been
an absolute joy to see a new generation
of audiences connect with these
outrageously loveable and inappropriate
puppets. The show has always
celebrated the chaos of growing up,
finding your place, and trying to work
out what you’re doing with your life,
which remains relevant after all these
years. We’re enormously proud of this
production and hugely grateful to the
brilliant company, creatives, crew and
audiences who have made this West End
run so special. Don’t miss your last
chance to take a trip down Avenue Q!’
Fresh out of college and searching for
his purpose, Princeton ends up in a
shabby apartment on New York’s
rundown Avenue Q. He quickly meets
Photo: Matt Crockett
his new and colourful neighbours where
together they navigate the life struggles
of work, love and paying the bills in their
own hilarious way.
Irreverent and irresistible, Avenue Q
is the mischievous and charming
musical full of infectious songs and
loveable characters that will leave you
smiling for days.
JANE EYRE
Southwark Playhouse Elephant
Lovers of the classic tale may at first
feel equally excited and apprehensive
about seeing the five-time Tony
nominated adaptation of Charlotte
Brontë's Jane Eyre, which has made its
premiere on the UK stage. I was at once
eager to see this literary masterpiece
brought to life, and unsure at how such
a masterpiece could be encapsulated in
any other form than Brontë's writing.
Nevertheless, the musical, co-directed
by John Caird and Megan McGinnis,
proves to be a powerful and gripping
rendering of Jane's tale.
The construction of an intimate stage
framed by gothic twisting vines and an
inscription of one of Jane Eyre's most
famous lines matched what was to ensue
upon it, as the attention to detail in the
staging was almost as impressive as the
masterful inclusion even of such
bookish details as a motif of birds and a
31
Photo: Victoria Davies
Charlie McCullagh and Meg Hateley (Bad Idea Bears).
discussion of the governesses’ social
role. Alongside this, a use of
minimalistic Victorian-style costumes
faultlessly enabled the fast paced and
seamless flow of action to unfold across
Jane's life, whilst leaving viewers
submerged in the darker atmosphere that
characterises Jane's world.
When it comes to the action itself, the
dual performances of Poppy Jason
(Young Jane) and Charlie Burn (Jane)
were particular highlights, as their
moments of joint stage presence added
a profound sense of depth to Jane's
character as essentially defined by her
childhood.
The all-important chemistry between
Ashley Gilmour's embodiment of the
enigmatic Rochester and Burn, forms the
beating heart of the show, their passion
undeniable and effectively conveyed
both through dialogue and song. The
musical element contributed to the
problematic portrayal of Jane and
Rochester's relationship as a pure
romance but, overall, the vocals and
music cannot be faulted, as the whole
cast tell Jane's tale with vehement
musical passion.
Ultimately, this is a thoroughly
entertaining and approachable version of
Jane Eyre. What is clear throughout is a
sense of attentiveness and care that has
gone into its creation and performance.
An enthralling introduction to the
Olive Jenkins
classics.
T H I S I S L O N D O N M A G A Z I N E • T H I S I S L O N D O N O N L I N E • w w w. t i l . c o m • @ t h i s i s l o n d o n m a g
