THIS award-winning musical has spent six years on Broadway and five in London’s West End, but I confess until now it had stayed beneath my radar.

It’s an entertaining piece with plenty to say about racism, internet porn, gay relationships and America’s Republican party, but its producers say they’ve only ever received a complaint from the Republicans. Some of the songs and dialogue are very risqué and political correctness is completely out of the window, but the characters can get away with almost anything (including having frantic sex on-stage) because they are colourful, Sesame Street-type puppets. Somehow the actors who manipulate them so skilfully get us to focus on the character and not on the puppeteer, singing and demonstrating some pretty powerful emotions in a way that captivates the audience. They are by turns fun, racy, wistful and always appealing, and the songs are typical American stage musical fare, sung in clear, strong, melodious voices reminiscent of Wicked or Frozen. The US accents are convincing and never falter.

The actors/puppeteers manoeuvre expertly around the stage and each other without ever become obtrusive although they are in plain sight – it’s very cleverly done.

It’s an innovative show, full of quirky ideas (the building superintendent is named Gary Coleman and used to be the child star of TV’s Diff’rent Strokes, triggering lots of jokes and catchphrases from that show – if you are old enough to remember it) It could easily be offensive but instead it’s like an adult Muppet show, and I mean that in a positive way!

* Runs until Saturday. Box Office: 01325-486555 or darlingtoncivic.co.uk