WITH full frontal puppet nudity and songs about porn and racism, Avenue Q is certainly not a show for children – but it’s hitting all the right notes with adults.

Launching on Broadway in 2003 and then London’s West End in 2006, the award-winning musical will be returning to Southampton next week, performing on The Mayflower stage in its second UK tour.

Full of mischief, bad behaviour and plenty of political incorrectness, the show features just three ‘humans’ along with nine puppet characters, some of which sport a striking resemblance to the popular children’s series Sesame Street.

But with song titles including Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist, I’m Not Wearing Underwear Today and The Internet is For Porn, this is a far cry from our familiar friends Big Bird and Elmo.

“The premise of the show is the characters from Sesame Street,”

explains Nigel Plaskitt, who has been the show’s puppet coach since it first came to the UK. “Fortunately a lot of the angst from the TV show’s fans was sorted when it opened in New York. But I think people realised that this is a more affectionate look at what life would be like after Sesame Street.”

Telling the story of recent college graduate Princeton, who moves to Avenue Q in an attempt to find his purpose in life, the audience are quickly introduced to an array of characters from Lucy the Slut right through to the Bad Idea Bears.

“The show is really about relationships and growing up, but also tackles subjects that would be difficult if you didn’t have the puppets,” says Nigel.

“The puppets really help to inject a little humour.”

Although the show promises laughs a plenty, Nigel is always on hand with advice and guidance for the puppeteers, who face the tough job of acting through the puppets.

“Using the puppets is like wearing a mask, because they don’t have any expressions – only their body language,”

says Nigel. “So, if one of the puppeteers is struggling to think about how to make their puppet look, say sad, I just tell them to put the puppet down and act the scene in the mirror. Then bring the body language that they use to the stage.”

Unlike Sesame Street, where the puppeteers remain hidden, in Avenue Q, the actors are clearly visible at all times – something that Nigel admits created a new challenge on stage.

“I honestly didn’t know how it would work, but it’s amazing how quickly you forget that the puppeteers are there,”

says Nigel, who recently worked on the Peppa Pig Live show. “The key is to not let the actors overshadow the puppets.”

With characters from the flamboyant Rod to Nigel’s favourite, the Trekkie Monster, that shouldn’t be a problem!