Avenue Q puppets stop by the Liverpool Empire

The cast -- and puppets -- of hit musical Avenue Q dropped by the Empire this afternoon. The national tour is currently playing at the Lowry in Manchester, so puppeteers including Gabrielle Broomes (far right, with yellow Bad Idea Bear), who has performed with Liverpool companies including What We Did Next, took a jaunt down the M62 to do a bit of networking ahead of their dates here next month. Described as "the most unholy alliance between humans and puppets the world has ever seen" (and that's their own marketing), Avenue Q is a musical about the lively and off-the-wall characters on a downtown New York street trying to make sense of life’s burning issues: love, work, relationships, and, above all, just how are you supposed to pay the bills with a BA in English? The show follows Princeton, a bright-eyed college graduate new to the area, as he desperately tries to follow his dreams and discover his ever-elusive purpose in life. A tiny bank balance, the distraction of a busty blonde, and a variety of weird and wonderful friends and neighbours lead Princeton on a story of self-discovery. It has enjoyed enormous success, both on Broadway and in London. Witty, rude and funny, Avenue Q combines a cast of humans and puppets who tackle subjects such as dating, racism, being gay and finding your purpose in life -- and with song titles including I'm Not Wearing Any Underwear Today and Everyone's a Little Bit Racist, an open mind is definitely required. The Avenue Q UK Tour is produced by Theatre Royal Bath Productions, by arrangement with Kevin McCollum, Robin Goodman, Jeffrey Seller, Vineyard Theatre, The New Group and Cameron Mackintosh. It comes to the Empire from June 11 to 16. For further details about Avenue Q visit avenueqthemusical.co.uk.