The Neighbours Are Back: Avenue Q Opens Its 2027 Tour in Brisbane

Brisbane, your favourite puppet neighbours are moving back in. Avenue Q, the Tony Award-winning musical that gave children's-television puppets a rent bill and a few bad ideas, returns to Australia in 2027, and the tour opens at QPAC's Lyric Theatre on 26 May.

The street is the same, and so are the problems. Princeton, a graduate with big plans and nothing to show for them yet, arrives in New York and lands on Avenue Q, where the puppets and people next door are stuck on the same questions he is: where's the job, where's the love, and how does anyone pay for being an adult? The songs say what everyone's thinking and nobody admits. "The Internet Is for Porn" and "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist" are as blunt as their titles, and the show has been getting away with it ever since.

The best reason to book might be the man running this version. Luke Joslin directs the new Australian production, and he knows this block better than most. He played Nicky and Trekkie Monster in the original Australian season in 2009, a performance that won him the 2010 Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical. Nearly two decades on, he's back, this time running the whole street.

Music and lyrics are by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, with a book by Jeff Whitty. Lopez has since co-created The Book of Mormon and Disney's Frozen, so the range is considerable. It's a cast of 11 performers and puppets, presented by GMG Productions and Stoddart Entertainment Group.

After Brisbane (26 May to 6 June), the tour moves on to:

• Melbourne, Athenaeum Theatre, 10 June to 4 July
• Gold Coast, HOTA, 8 to 17 July
• Adelaide, Her Majesty's Theatre, 21 to 25 July
• Canberra, Canberra Theatre Centre, 28 July to 1 August
• Sydney, Roslyn Packer Theatre, 5 to 29 August
• Western Sydney, Coliseum Theatre, 1 to 4 September
• Newcastle, Civic Theatre, 8 to 12 September
• Perth, Regal Theatre, 22 September to 3 October

Consider this your warning: it isn't one for the kids. Expect strong language, adult themes and puppet nudity. More information is at aveq.com.au.