The Addams Family

After 18 months of my not being in a theatre, I looked forward excitedly to Project Theatre’s first show after lockdown. I was not disappointed. The youngsters put their heart into performing and gave us real live entertainment. From the opening spooky hand through the curtain to the clever one liners and the clear characterisations, we were taken on a journey. Problems arose when Wednesday who has fallen in love with Lucas, secretly told her dad Gomez but not her mother Morticia. They hosted a dinner with Lucas’ parents and things became more complicated because son Pugsley tried to drug his sister with his Grandma’s potion which was given instead to Lucas’s mum. Cue lots of fun.  For the Principals, Sophie Gilland as Gomez struck a chord with the audience from the first and later with his dilemma of keeping a secret from his wife. Morticia played by Hailey Honey confidently held the stage and terrified in her insistence for Full Disclosure. Isla McIntosh gave Wednesday a realistic character and sang sweetly and true. Samya Gurung as parent Alice also sang well. She and Fergus Canavan as husband Mal were both suitably concerned with their son’s choice of girl and then with their own relationship. Cohun Gurung delivered the upset wee brother Pugsley, Hayland Gilland gave us a feisty Grandma while Eilidh Gallagher had us all in thrall with the role of Uncle Fester in love with the moon.  As Lurch, Adam Rutland sounded and looked sinister while Ailsa Canavan as Cousin Itt and Caitlin Lee as Thing gave their roles character. The Ancestors all contributed to the spooky atmosphere and characterised their roles.

Neil Hartley continues:

From the top of the overture music and the opening of the house curtain you could feel the darkness of the Addams Family Graveyard. A fantastic tribute to the original Addams Family with the finger clicks from the single white hand from through the Black Cloth took the older members of the audience back to a good few years ago and gave a good laugh from the start. A very simplistic black box set with appropriate lighting gave the feeling of a bigger and more dressed stage and by using all homemade sets in parts where this was required gave  the illusion of what the whole room would look like. All principal characters played their roles well and with some very difficult characters to be played in this show all the hard work on accents and acting skills were certainly put to the test. A great group of ensemble characters playing the deceased ancestors and the wall of pictures brought in some humour to what is a dark show. A difficult task as always to take on a show without a live band as you have no control of speed of the underscoring or any main songs but the full cast were on this and on a couple of occasions managed to cover up anything that had gone a little too fast. I have no doubt that the future of musical theatre in Falkirk is in great hands and that you have an amazing group of up and coming talent in your society

We both say well done to cast, production team, back stage, sound and light and of course front of house for your warm welcome to the theatre.

Elizabeth Donald

Reg. Rep. District no. 3

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