To anyone who was raised on a solid diet of Sesame Street, the multi award-winning musical Avenue Q is sure to feel nostalgically familiar.

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But don’t let the Jim Henson style puppets fool you; this show is not for the kiddies. With song titles like ‘If you Were Gay’, ‘Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist’ and ‘The Internet Is For Porn’, Avenue Q takes familiar themes then mixes them with a good dose of dirty humour.

Mitchell Butel plays both naïve college graduate, Princeton and closeted gay Republican, Rod in the Australian production and says that while the subjects may be radically different, the ideas of inclusion and tolerance that ran through Sesame Street are just as present in Avenue Q.

‘Sesame Street is so multicultural and diverse, everybody’s loved despite their flaws- whether you’re a big bird with yellow feathers or if you’re a grouch in a garbage can or an old guy with glasses that runs the shop, everybody is equally valued,’ he told OUTinPerth.

‘I think that’s why so many of us loved it, because you felt safe when you watched Sesame Street. And I think even though we’re dealing with internet pornography and racism and unemployment in our show, it’s got that sense of community and tolerance.’

Avenue Q manages to balance side-splitting hilarity and smutty jokes with inspirational messages and some big existential questions- not an easy feat for a puppet-based musical.

‘When theatre is medicine, when it is a little bit up itself, you tend to block-off emotionally,’ said Butel.

‘But comedy is so disarming – it kind of removes your defenses so that it can touch you.’

In the opening number, Princeton arrives on Avenue Q armed with high hopes and a BA in English, set on finding his purpose in life. Throughout the course of the show he meets a colourful cast of characters (a mix of puppets and live actors) including the porn-addicted Trekkie Monster, unemployed aspiring comedian, Brian and puppet temptress, Lucy the Slut.

After six years on Broadway and three in London’s West End, Avenue Q has developed a huge cult following and the show’s puppet characters have become so famous Butel said he was quite star-struck meeting them for the first time.

Now, however, after a two month run in Melbourne and Sydney, Butel has become quite attached to his two charges, Princeton and Rod.

‘I’ve got two Princetons and two Rods that get changed into various clothes during the show and every night I go in and say g’day to them and make sure their hair is nice and look at them in the mirror. I preen them like I would myself, so you form a real strong attachment to them.

‘I get very funny when other people put my puppet on their arm because you do become very attached.’

The Australian production has remained faithful to the original with a few minor changes to the set and an Australian director (Jonathan Biggins) and choreographer (Nathan M Wright). The puppets were made by the same team as the Broadway and West End productions and one half of the team who created and wrote Avenue Q, Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, has come down under to check on his work.

‘Jeff came to the opening in Melbourne with his boyfriend and loved it,’ said Butel.

‘He actually got very teary when he was talking to us after he saw it because he said that it’s lovely to think that something he conceived of ten years ago is actually still touching people. And particularly that final message of ‘everything in your life is only for now- enjoy it while you have it’, he said it’s wonderful to think that that is still being spread. So we feel like we’re honouring that hopefully.’

Avenue Q is playing at the Regal Theatre from November 21. Tickets are on sale now through Ticketek.