The Addams Family

After a try out in Chicago in 2009, The Addams Family Musical opened on Broadway in April 2010, winning several awards
for Set design and 2 Tony award nominations. It took till 2016 to reach the UK when it toured UK and Ireland for a year and
was again planning a tour when the pandemic struck and it was postponed till November 2021.

Glad to be back to live performance was Belvoir Players Academy, with a number of new members while some previous
members have moved up (whose workshop production is due in the summer). This Set, constructed by Michael Gorman,
was simple but entirely suitable for the piece – a staircase on either side at the back of the stage, lots of cobwebs and
portraits of strange looking Ancestors! Props were minimal and Costumes (uncredited so I presume they were sourced by
the company) were all authentic for Principals, and Ancestors were all white in a variety of styles. Make up was excellent
with many black featured eyes and wild hair! Lighting had a few problems but I understand that the Director had to take
over its operation at the last minute. Sound was mostly effective (occasionally slow to turn individuals mic on and some
mics set a little loud - but it was opening night.

As Gomaz, head of the weird Addams family, Harrison Gordon gave a standout performance. His talent for subtle comedy
was evident, with a script full of humour and ‘double entendre’. He maintained his Spanish accent throughout and vocals
changed from frenetic (“Trapped”) to gentle (“Happy/Sad”) easily. Maeve Lagan played Morticia his beloved wife (sharing
the role with Amelie Euler at alternate performances), capturing the look and character of the role extremely well. She was
obviously the matriarch of the family as she glided around in her long black dress. Maeve and Harrison showed good
onstage chemistry. Jude Ryan played Grandma (shared with Ellie Wisoner at alternate performances) showing the feisty old
woman well, while Jonathan Brown gave an excellent portrayal of the somewhat deranged Uncle Fester. Hardly classed as
a ‘junior’ nowadays, Jonathan is a valuable addition to any cast and this role gave him plenty of scope for comedy as the
strange child-like man.

The Addams children were played by Ella Robinson(Georgia Watson shared the role) and Sophie Toal (Niamh McGuigan
share). Ella managed the role of Pudsley, the mischievous boy who loves torture, convincingly and Sophie, the teenage
daughter who has fallen in love with ‘normal’ Lucas Beineke, was a good Wednesday. Sometimes I felt that her vocals were
a bit harsh – I think her body mic could have been set a bit lower for her strong voice. “Crazier than You” with Sean Carron
as Lucas showed the great struggle they had blending the “darkness”of her family with the “normality” of his and they
made a convincing couple. Rachel Smith (Cara Magennis share) and Teddy Bingham played his strait-laced parents Alice and
Mal. They were ultra-conservative until Alice mistakenly drank the Acrimonium Potion, when her uninhibited revelations
and antics became a comical feast! Teddy found it harder to loosen up. I was disappointed that he did not have a change of
clothes in the next scene – a ‘waking dead’ tee shirt and tie for headband might have helped!
With excellent make-up as Lurch the butler, Kevin Magill became the character and never wavered – even when standing
front of house to distribute programmes or leaflets. He surprised everyone when he broke into song in the final scene! Well
done Kevin! The ensemble of ‘Ancestors’ were involved frequently throughout the production - fully engaged with the
action and well rehearsed and precise in choreography.

Shane Johnson directed a fast-paced show with lots of wacky innovation and even some up-to-date local humour.
Oprah brought bright and quirky movement to both principals (I loved the Tango de L’Amor) and the Ancestors. Wilson’s
4 piece band did full justice to the wide variety of musical styles in the show and balanced well with the singers on stage.
Many thanks for the invitation to the Junior Academy’s production. James and I thoroughly enjoyed our evening at the
opening night of The Addams Family – full disclosure!

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