HOWEVER much you think your life sucks, chances are it will never be as bad as that of the inhabitants of New York’s ficitional Avenue Q.

The Tony award-winning musical started it’s run at the Wyvern Theatre last night to raucous laughter and applause as the puppet and human stars of the musical tried to make sense of some of life’s burning issues.

If you are easily offended and think puppets should all have the sweet demeanour of Elmo from Seasame Street then this probably isn’t the show for you.

But those who are game for pretty much anything are in for a treat as we follow Princeton (played by Sam Lupton), Kate Monster (played by Katharine Moraz) and a whole host of others figure out relationships, sexuality, job issues and what use a BA degree in English is.

Having seen the show during a previous tour when it played at the Bristol Hippodrome, I was well-prepared for what was to come and have been encouraging friends and family to buy tickets for months.

The easiest way to explain the show to those who have not seen it before is to imagine a mix of Seasame Street and The Muppets with plenty of side-splitting songs thrown in for good measure.

It is a musical for the 21st century and everyone will find something to relate to.

The songs, composed and written by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, feature fantastic numbers such as Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist, If You Were Gay, Schadenfreude and the brilliant The Internet Is For Porn.

Like I said, this isn’t the show for prudes but it’s not as crude as it sounds.

If you love musicals and want to introduce a friend or loved one to the genre (and they’re not that keen) this is the perfect show for them. And if you’ve seen it before, it is definitely worth going to see again.

It holds a mirror up to society and raises questions about everyday issues, but you don’t come away feeling as though you’ve been forced to look too deeply at yourself for an evening.

In the audience was Jo Logan, the current Miss Wiltshire, who was celebrating her birthday. Before the show she meet Trekkie Monster and puppeter Chris Thatcher, who wished her a very happy birthday.

“Trekkie Monster was hilarious and a little bit cheeky,” said Jo Logan.

“I’m watching the show twice this week.”

Richard Loftus, marketing manager for the Wyvern Theatre, said he hoped audiences enjoyed the show as much as him.

“Mischief, bad behavior and political incorrectness – what’s not to like about Avenue Q?” he said.

“This wickedly funny show is a musical like no other – it makes sense of life’s burning issues such as love, work, relationships, sex and how to pay the bills with a BA in English.”

n Avenue Q runs at the Wyvern Theatre until Saturday. Tickets cost from £16 - £29.50 and are available by calling the box office on 01793 524481 or log on to www.wyverntheatre.org.uk The show contains scenes that may be unsuitable for children under 12.