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The Addams Family

Author: Chris Horton

Information

Date
20th August 2023
Society
BATS Next Gen
Venue
Central Studios, Basingstoke
Type of Production
Musical
Director
Owen White
Musical Director
Tori Eglin
Choreographer
Jade Hollingshead

THE ADDAMS  FAMILY with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice and based on characters created by Charles Addams, is also a 1990s' film. It's dark, funny and full of ghoulish gags and hilarious one liners.  We spend time with the family who are in love with death, gloom and doom. Morticia and Gomez’s daughter, Wednesday, is in love but to their horror, the boy she wants to marry is from a ‘normal’ family. The Gothic Family host a dinner for the Lucas (Wednesday’s fiancée) and his parents. And although the plot is rather flimsy, the interpretation is exceptional and hugely enjoyable. 

The stage design was inventive, the main backdrop being a cage-style wire contraption used to great effect. The arrival of the dinner table, apparently out of nowhere, was brilliant.  The props were fantastic ranging from Wednesday’s crossbow, the moon-ball to tombstones.    The stretching rack operated by Wednesday, on Pugsley, deserves a special mention and was spookily effective.     

The costumes were amazing. Morticia’s trademark full length black gown fitted perfectly, Gomez’s smart suit was very in keeping with his character. Fester and Grandma’s costumes were gloomy and necessarily downbeat. The Ancestors’ costumes were brilliant and ranged from 20s flapper, a chef, a Viking, a bride, a cowboy and a bride. All were given a ghostly dusting appearance with make up effectively applied to give that, ‘dead for a while’ appearance.

The lighting was good and well controlled throughout with special effect lighting used to change moods and scenes. The sound was excellent.

This was an excellent example of ensemble performance. Under the direction of Owen White, this production was a showcase of what can be achieved in two weeks.  The cast were totally convincing in their roles and absorbed in their characters.  The group dances were cleverly choreographed and the solos ranged from touching to uplifting and funny.   The cast and creative team worked very hard and there were many touches I absolutely loved, including Gomez and Morticia’s tango, Fester's love song ‘The Moon and Me’ and Pugsley on the stretch rack, to mention just a few of the highlights.  All of this was done with great precision and was meticulously rehearsed and performed.   The Addams Family as performed by BATS Next Gen was a shining example of innovation, co-operation and understanding between cast and crew and this produced a very enjoyable show for all.

 

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