The Addams Family

As usual with this Company their impressive open sets always manage to create an immediate atmosphere on entering the auditorium and prepare the audience for the action to come. 

This time we were treated to a castle exterior with a huge “creepy” tree SL and a pair of  impressive doors leading into the depths of goodness knows where, a part of the castle interior SR and a graveyard DSR. Together with a luminous full moon suspended US against a twinkly star-cloth all made the perfect backdrop for the wacky, and at times somewhat dark tale, that was to unfold! 

The ”front of house” announcement was cleverly accompanied by a ghostly hand emerging from the depths of the spooky tree and led into a terrific musical introduction, with a great depth of sound as the mist crept across the stage!

The Addams family characters, probably best known from the original early TV series and the films which followed, were faithfully recreated in this production.

Wednesday is now all grown-up and confides to her father Gomez that she has fallen in love with a  “normal” young man from a respectable family, and asks him, much to his dismay, to keep this a secret for the time being from her mother Morticia. Reluctantly Morticia agrees to host a dinner for Wednesday’s “chum” Lucas Beineke and his parents enabling the two families to meet, an evening which results in some surprising and unexpected repercussions!

The striking difference between the two families was evident from the moment they met. The yellow and cream tones of the Beineke’s understated outfits contrasted completely with the dark and outlandish Addams family and highlighted their dissimilarity from the start.

The roles of both Gomez, complete with pin-stripe suit and a splendid wig, and the elegant Morticia were excellently and confidently played, and were the lynch pins of the piece. Uncle Feste was a perfect clone of the original and Lurch the butler was stoney-faced throughout – his expression and movement speaking louder than words. A younger member of the company did very well in the part of Grandma, a bit of a usurper to the piece as it seemed no-one really knew whose mother she was, and again HCTC showed their willingness to think “outside of the box” when casting.

Wednesday was a revelation, she sang beautifully and was feisty and determined throughout,  provoking her mother perfectly with the change into a yellow dress for her “one normal night” ! 

Pugsley her brother was engaging and mischievous, and Lucas made for a believable and endearing  “normal” college student boyfriend.

Alice and Mal Beineke both gave “spot-on” performances as the “all American” suburban couple from Ohio who over the years had certainly lost their “mojo”!

Alice transformed amazingly, after inadvertently drinking a potion, from the rhyme speaking bored housewife ripping off her sedate dress as she crossed to the “dark side”! She was priceless! Mal thankfully took the hint and joined her, remembering his younger years in the times of “The Grateful Dead”. They both embraced the theme of the Addams’ Family game of “Full Disclosure” and became much happier beings!

The chorus of “ancestors” certainly completed the production brilliantly as they moved artfully from scene to scene surrounding the action from behind their golden picture frames, each with their own individual characters and costumes, they were a delight!

There were many memorable moments throughout - the torture chamber, the tango dance, the clever setting of the magnificent table and chairs through the centre of the auditorium, and the costumes, make-up, lighting and sound were excellent. Everyone sang and danced with consummate ease, everything flowed and must have been well rehearsed.

The eight-piece band under expert musical direction was placed upstage, below the magnificent waxing and waning full moon, and all were very much part of the piece. It was interesting to see them from the front for a change and their positioning was not obtrusive to the action at all, rather reminiscent of a John Wilson Prom!

All made for a most enjoyable evening – well directed, well performed and very well received!

Well done!

 

Any observation made by the reviewer can only be based on what they see at the performance in question.  The reviewer may have received information in advance of the performance, and it is inevitable that their assessment will be affected by that knowledge.

The N.O.D.A. Representative’s intention is to give an objective critique of the overall production and in particular the performance viewed.  It should be remembered that any review of this nature can only be objective as far as the techniques used during the performance observed.  Any criticisms expressed may not have been valid at other performances and are only made to encourage higher standards in Amateur Theatre.

It is hoped that the audience’s appreciation of your efforts will have given everyone a lift and encouraged you to greater achievements in the future and that the observations made by the reviewer will prove helpful in improving future productions.

 

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