Tag Archives: Jason Moore

2026

“Avenue Q” at the Shaftesbury Theatre

After an eight-year run in the West End, as well as being a massive hit on Broadway, Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx’s hit musical is back in London. The ‘adult’ puppet show that philosophises about life is as entertaining as ever, and its revival is a welcome one.

Fans love the story of the inhabitants of the eponymous New York street, its nods to children’s TV and wry cynicism. Director Jason Moore has given those who remember the piece what they want – a faithful recreation full of energy and excitement.

The assembled cast are strong, with Emily Benjamin leading the way as the main female vocalist, supported by Noah Harrison and Charlie McCullagh. All impress in multiple roles, although Harrison’s accents are at times confusing. Benjamin benefits from the biggest contrast in her characters; any restraint expressed when playing Kate Monster is unleashed with her fantastic Lucy the Slut. There’s also a fine performance from Amelia Kinu Muus, whose big song, The More You Ruv Someone, is a highlight.

Avenue Q was always more than a joke about puppets swearing and having sex. Although that’s a good gag. It’s sharp and cynical, even if time, and this production, have softened the edges a little. Jeff Whitty’s excellent book feels fresh enough. You might expect a show with such satirical origins to have been updated more. Explaining what a mixtape is to a younger audience is sweet (and probably unnecessary), but the nostalgic air that surrounds the production might have led to a missed opportunity.

In fairness, nostalgia has always been a part of Avenue Q. The characters look back at their college days a lot, and the least satisfactory character, Gary, is a former child actor. Props to Dionne Ward-Anderson, who takes the role and has a lot of fun. But the part is the weakest joke in the show and the one that needs updating the most.

In the end, it comes down to the score, and Lopez and Marx cannot fail to impress. The deceptively simple numbers are stripped back and demand to be remembered. There are so many good songs that they compete to be the one you remember afterwards, and a hit number about schadenfreude deserves to be heard again and again.

Until 2 January 2027

www.avenueqmusical.co.uk

Photo by Matt Crockett

2025

“Lee” at the Park Theatre

Cian Griffin joins a long list of playwrights tackling painters’ lives. Such fictions, mixing history, biography and theories about art, can be fruitful but not easy, as injecting drama often proves problematic. At the risk of damning with faint praise, this play about Lee Krasner holds its own in a crowded field. Red by John Logan and Stanley by Pam Gems spring to mind, while more recent efforts include Rebecca Lenkiewicz’s The Painter and this year’s Who is Claude Cahun? by DR Hill.

Griffin has picked a great artist to explore – abstract expressionist Krasner had a fascinating life and career. And he’s done his homework, aided by a Barbican exhibition six years ago that allowed a London audience to see many of the paintings discussed. There are times when Griffin seems burdened by this knowledge, briefing the audience in a clunky manner, but it is interesting stuff.

A little against the odds, this is an affectionate portrait. Krasner is shown as irascible, but her touchiness is made a virtue of by Helen Goldwyn, who injects humour. The writing shows Krasner’s intelligence and imperiousness, but Goldwyn aids nuance and skilfully suggests a vulnerable undertow. I’m not quite sure Krasner’s resignation about sexism and celebrity in the art  is realistic (she appears sage-like a little too often), but Goldwyn makes it work. 

Griffin adds a neat device in the form of Hank, a local boy who seeks advice about art. Director Jason Moore keeps the action swift, which covers up a few problems here. Yes, Hank is young but is he a bit too dim? He’s certainly very naïve –and a plot twist is predictable. Still, this is a great role for Will Bagnall – who deals well with his character’s grief for his dead father – and an important attempt to open up the play.

You probably still need to have an interest in the artist to bother with Lee. But that’s OK and connects to bigger praise. Krasner had a famous husband. And my favourite part of the piece is how little he appears! No offence to Tom Andrews, who plays the part of Jackson Pollock very well, but it is great to see him in just a few flashbacks, where he appears as a ghost. These are strong scenes made all the more effective by being by underplayed. Pollock did haunt Krasner, certainly her reputation, and you couldn’t ignore him in a play about her. But helping her to step out of her husband’s shadow, even just a little, is a big achievement.

Until 18 October 2025

www.parktheatre.co.uk

Photo by Giacomo Giannelli