The Addams Family

Following a slight change round in the districts of the North Eastern Area of NODA, I can join in the Addams family game of ‘Full Disclosure’ and tell you that this was my first introduction to this Society, to this Theatre and it was the first time I had ever met The Addams Family!  

This macabre family is made up of some very weird characters who were all well portrayed, believable and well sung.  The majority of the show falls on the shoulders of Gomez (Dale Chadwick) and his wife Morticia  (Helen Procter) their reaction to their 18 year old daughter, Wednesday (Ellie Wilson) falling for and wishing to marry Lucas Beineke (Tom Powell), only son of Mal and Alice (Colm Ferry and Emma Victoria Smith) a perfectly normal, respectable Ohio family.

The still living, dead and not quite decided of the Addams family, assemble in the local graveyard for their annual gathering to celebrate the ancient unique values of their lives.  This is when Wednesday breaks the news of her intention to marry and has invited the Beineke family to their home for dinner, much to the family’s horror.  Uncle Fester (Neil Hellewell) enlists the help of the ancestors as Morticia and her son Pugsley (Benny Hicks) are very much against the idea.  Following the meal, with the help of some potion from Grandma (Rachel Watts) Alice Beineke hilariously lets her hair down in the game of Full Disclosure much to her husband and her son’s disgust.  All turns out well in the end and all loving couples are happily reunited.

Everything about this show was good and very enjoyable, the chorus were all dressed individually through the passage of time from a delightful Stoneage man character to the present day and care had been taken to make the image correct with its time.  Wigs and make-up too were individual and exceptional thanks to help from Craven College Media Make-up.  The scenery and props were appropriate to the setting and were changed by members of the cast still perfectly in their character.  The MD and orchestra were hidden behind black cloths but coped beautifully with not being able to see the actors’ faces yet accompanying both solos and concerted numbers with precision.  Lighting and sound were good and it was easy to forget that you were actually sitting in an auction market!

The whole show was presided over by the silent Butler Lurch (Mike Holmes) who, almost at the end of the show, had a very difficult song to sing, the notes going anywhere but where you would expect, but happily the final number was much more tuneful and everyone left with a smile on their face.

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