Avenue Q Tickets in London at the Shaftesbury Theatre
Avenue Q is back in the West End at the Shaftesbury Theatre, twenty years after its London premiere. The Tony-winning puppet comedy musical about growing up, getting by and finding your purpose plays with its original Broadway director and puppet designs, booking to 3 January 2027.
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Who's Avenue Q For?
- Anyone who loved it first time round and wants to see the original puppets back on a London stage.
- Fans of The Book of Mormon humour: same co-writer, same mix of filthy jokes and a warm heart.
- Twentysomethings living the story for real: bad flats, worse jobs, and the search for a purpose.
- Groups and date nights after a proper laugh rather than a polite one.
- Not one for young children: it might look like a kids' show and very much is not, hence the 13+ guidance.
About Avenue Q at the Shaftesbury Theatre
Avenue Q is the musical that won the 2004 Tony Award treble of Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book, famously beating Wicked, and then ran for five years in the West End. This revival brings it back with pedigree: Jason Moore, the original Broadway director, directs, and the puppets are Rick Lyon's original Broadway designs.
The music and lyrics are by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx. Lopez went on to co-create The Book of Mormon and write the songs for Frozen. The show plays at the Shaftesbury Theatre, and demand led to booking extending from August 2026 to 3 January 2027.
The running time is around 2 hours 15 minutes with one interval of about 15 to 20 minutes. The age guidance is 13+ with parental guidance advised, for strong language, adult themes and sexual references. The puppeteers work in full view, which is half the joy of it. And during this run the Shaftesbury Theatre is going through some renovations, so the show only has a Stalls and Royal Circle.
What's Avenue Q About?
Princeton, a bright-eyed graduate with a "BA in English" and no money, moves to the only New York street he can afford: Avenue Q. His neighbours are a mix of people and puppets. Kate Monster is a kindergarten assistant with a big heart, Rod is a very buttoned-up investment banker, and Trekkie Monster mostly stays upstairs with the internet. The building superintendent is former child star Gary Coleman.
It is a comedy about the unglamorous parts of growing up: jobs that go nowhere, terrible dating, bills, break-ups and the nagging question of what you are actually for. It is told with cheerfully filthy and fun songs songs, with a surprising amount of heart.
The show is a take-off of the most famous puppet show, Sesame Street, but definitely has an adult focus to it.
Performance Schedule
Avenue Q plays Monday to Saturday evenings at 7:30pm, with matinees on Friday and Saturday at 2:30pm. The matinee day changed with the extension: it was Thursday until the end of August 2026 and has been Friday since. There are no Sunday performances in the standard week.
| Day | Matinee | Evening |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | - | 7:30pm |
| Tuesday | - | 7:30pm |
| Wednesday | - | 7:30pm |
| Thursday | - | 7:30pm |
| Friday | 2:30pm | 7:30pm |
| Saturday | 2:30pm | 7:30pm |
| Sunday | - | - |
The run began on 20 March 2026 and, after an extension, the final performance is on 3 January 2027. Holiday-season weeks around December will be very busy as the show is closing soon after and also follow a different schedule, so check the calendar dates when you book.
Best Seats for Avenue Q
The Shaftesbury is playing on two levels for this run, Stalls and Royal Circle, while the top level is closed for restoration. Fewer seats each night, and a simpler choice.
The quick version:
- Stalls rows E to K (centre): the sweet spot. Close enough to catch the puppets' details and the performers' faces working in tandem. Our recommendation.
- Royal Circle rows A to D: a clear, slightly raised view that takes in the whole street scene, and no reason to avoid it.
- Sitting close is fine here: the second and third rows are good seats for this show.
- Best value: the rear halves of both levels, where prices drop but the view holds up. Stay out of the very ends of a row.
Prices run from £25 up to £90, with a small number of premium seats at £125 and above. With us, the price you see is the price you pay, with nothing added at checkout. Always keep an eye out, or call us to see about discounts. For the full seat-by-seat detail, see the Tickets & Best Seats tab, or call us on 020 7193 9050 for a steer on your budget.
Cast and Creative Team
Emily Benjamin (Bat Out of Hell, Cabaret) leads as Kate Monster and Lucy, with Noah Harrison (the Pretty Woman tour) as Princeton and Rod. The company of seven actor-puppeteers and performers also features Charlie McCullagh, Meg Hateley, Amelia Kinu Muus, Oliver Jacobson and Dionne Ward-Anderson.
Jason Moore directs, with puppets by Rick Lyon, both from the original Broadway production. Full company and creative team, including who plays whom, are in the Cast & Creatives tab.
Book Your Avenue Q Tickets
Book your Avenue Q tickets directly with us at Hit The Theatre. Our prices are all-in, so the price on the seating map is exactly what you pay at checkout. Choose your own seats online, or call us on 020 7193 9050 and a real person will help you find the right seats for your night and your budget. The run has already extended once because of demand, and the best seats on the best dates will not wait around.
Dates & tickets
FAQs
Prices run from £25 up to £90, with premium seats from £125, varying by date and seat. Whatever the price on the seating map, that is exactly what you pay with us, with nothing added at checkout.
No. It looks like a children's show and is anything but: strong language, adult themes and sexual references throughout. The guidance is 13+ with parental guidance advised.
No. It is an affectionate parody of the children's television it grew up on, but it is an independent show with no affiliation, and its content is strictly for grown-ups. Avenue Q is a take-off of Sesame Street.
Around 2 hours 15 minutes, including one interval of about 15 to 20 minutes. Evening shows start at 7:30pm, so you are out around 9:45pm.
Tell us your budget and we will point you to the best view for the money across the two open levels. Call us on 020 7193 9050, or book online from the seating map.
Yes, on purpose. The performers work in full view, matching their own expressions to the puppets they operate, and after five minutes your brain happily watches both at once. It is one of the show's clear artistic decisions.
The building superintendent is a fictional, affectionate send-up of the real Diff'rent Strokes child star, one of the show's longest-running jokes about fame going sideways. He was less well known to British audiences but was a huge star in 1970s and 1980s America.
The extended run's final performance is on 3 January 2027. It was originally booked to August 2026 and extended by demand, so popular dates still go quickly. There was always a chance it might extend further.
The Shaftesbury's top level, the Grand Circle, is closed while the theatre restores its roof dome. The Stalls and Royal Circle are open as normal.
Tottenham Court Road (Central, Northern and Elizabeth lines) is about a 4-minute walk. Holborn and Covent Garden are both under 10 minutes.
The run's four dedicated access performances (captioned, BSL, audio described and relaxed) took place in June and July 2026, and no further dates have been announced for the extension. Access bookings are handled by the venue's own access team via the venue's official site.
Yes. Call us on 020 7193 9050 and a real person will help you choose seats and book. Our prices are all-in, so the price on screen is the price you pay.
Yes. Avenue Q is a favourite for group nights out, we've done it ourselves...many times. Call us on 020 7193 9050 and we will find seats together at the best price for your party.
Best Seats for Avenue Q at the Shaftesbury Theatre
A puppet show rewards being able to see detail: the flick of an eyebrow on the performer's face, the matching tilt of the puppet's head. That makes this an easier theatre to advise on than usual, because only two levels are open and both work well. Our picks:
- Stalls rows E to K, centre: the best in the theatre for this show. Close enough for every detail of the puppetry, far enough back to take the whole street in at once. This is definitely our recommendation.
- The front rows: worth taking if you want to be close. Sitting close works at this theatre, especially for Avenue Q which is a small scale musical, and rows two and three are good seats rather than a compromise. This is an intimate show in a building roughly twice the size it wants, so closing that gap helps.
- Royal Circle rows A to D: the elevated option, with the whole stage in view, and a genuinely good one rather than a fallback.
- Rear Stalls: the value play. Even rows Q and R hold up for this show, and prices drop faster than the view does.
Seats to think twice about:
- The very ends of a row: on either level, at any depth. This is the one place the view actually costs you, and everything between the ends is fine.
- The back few rows of the Royal Circle: the Grand Circle above still overhangs the level even though it is closed for the works, and the further back you sit the more it comes down over you. The front two thirds is where to be.
Prices run from around £25 up to around £145 midweek and around £165 at weekends, with most seats between around £45 and around £95 and premium from around £100, varying by date. With us the price you see is the price you pay, all fees included. Not sure which level suits your night? Call us on 020 7193 9050 and a real person will match seats to your group, your budget and the view you want.
Seating plan
Dates & tickets
Booking now
Getting to the Shaftesbury Theatre
The Shaftesbury Theatre is at 210 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2H 8DP, at the northern end of the avenue near Seven Dials and the British Museum. It's a little further than the main cluster of theatres you might already know on Shaftesbury Avenue.
- Nearest tube: Tottenham Court Road (Central, Northern and Elizabeth lines), about a 4-minute walk. Holborn (Central, Piccadilly) and Covent Garden (Piccadilly) are both under 10 minutes.
- Rail: the Elizabeth line from Paddington or Liverpool Street makes Tottenham Court Road the easy route from the mainline stations. Charing Cross is about a 15-minute walk.
- Buses: the 1, 8, 25, 98 and 242 stop on New Oxford Street, around two minutes away. The 19, 38 and 55 stop close by around High Holborn and Charing Cross Road.
- Driving: not recommended. The Congestion Charge and ULEZ both apply, and street parking is scarce. The nearest car parks are around Bloomsbury Square and Drury Lane.
Arrive 15 to 20 minutes before the performance, no later, so you have time for the bag check and to find your seat before the start.
The Auditorium at a Glance
The Shaftesbury is a big Edwardian theatre, normally three levels. For this run it is playing on two, Stalls and Royal Circle, while the Grand Circle is closed for restoration of the theatre's dome, the only one in London that can open. Fewer seats each night, and no bad level to choose between.
For more about the theatre itself, see our Shaftesbury Theatre guide.
Address
210 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2H 8DP
Nearest Tube
Tottenham Court Road, Holborn and Covent Garden (about 5 minutes each)
Cast and Creative Team
Most of the cast play multiple roles, or multiple puppets! It's fast paced and fun to keep up with.
Emily Benjamin (Kate Monster / Lucy). A Welsh performer who trained at the Performance Preparation Academy and began her career in Bat Out of Hell, staying with the rock musical from the Manchester Opera House and the London Coliseum to Toronto and the Dominion. Her credits since include The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at The Bridge, Princess Pearl in Zog Live! on tour, Antoinette in Bronco Billy, and alternate Sally Bowles in Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, one of the most demanding lead roles in the West End.
Noah Harrison (Princeton / Rod). His credits include the UK tours of Pretty Woman: The Musical and Grease.
Charlie McCullagh (Nicky / Trekkie Monster / Bad Idea Bear). West End and touring credits include Bonnie and Clyde at the Garrick and Arts Theatres, Jesus Christ Superstar, 42 Balloons at The Lowry, and Doctor Zhivago in Concert at the London Palladium.
Meg Hateley (Mrs T / Bad Idea Bear). Played Sophie, the young lead in Mamma Mia!, at the Novello Theatre, and Emmeline Pankhurst in Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World at The Other Palace. Further credits include Coven at the Kiln Theatre.
Amelia Kinu Muus (Christmas Eve). Best known as one of the queens of SIX the Musical.
Oliver Jacobson (Brian). His credits include The Book of Mormon and the West End production of The Choir of Man at the Arts Theatre.
Dionne Ward-Anderson (Gary Coleman). Her credits include SIX the Musical and The Book of Mormon.
The company is completed by Jasmine Beel, Jonathan Carlton, Angelis Hunt, Lesley Lemon, Jessica Niles Kadi and Joshua Williams-Ward.
The creative team:
- Music and lyrics: Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx
- Book: Jeff Whitty
- Director: Jason Moore (original Broadway director)
- Puppet design: Rick Lyon (the original Broadway puppet designs)
- Orchestrations and arrangements: Stephen Oremus
- Set design: Anna Louizos
- Choreography: Ebony Molina
- Costume design: Jean Chan
- Lighting design: Tim Lutkin
- Sound design: Paul Groothuis
- Video design: Nina Dunn
- Puppetry coaching: Iestyn Evans and Andy Heath
- Musical direction: Benjamin Holder
- Associate director: Julie Atherton (a star of the original West End cast)
- Producers: Kevin McCollum (the original Broadway producer) and Jamie Wilson Productions
Avenue Q Reviews and Reception
The London critics gave the revival a warm welcome when it opened in April 2026, and the Box Office agreed: the run has already been extended into January 2027.
- WhatsOnStage (5/5): "Lopez and Marx's earworm tunes retain their sparkle and freshness."
- The Telegraph (4/5): "This jauntily efficient show could teach many meandering new musicals."
- The Guardian (4/5): "Every number is performed with such physical and vocal exuberance."
- Evening Standard (4/5): "It remains surprisingly wholesome and hopeful despite willfully offensive lyrics."
- Time Out (3/5): "If it's no longer very dangerous, it remains very charming."
The one real debate among the critics was whether the show's naughtiness still shocks after twenty years, with most concluding it has mellowed into charm, and The Independent (2/5) alone finding it dated. The songs, the puppetry and the heart were praised almost everywhere. For every verdict in one place, read our full round-up, What the Critics Say.
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Avenue Q
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