The Addams Family

The Addams Family is a musical comedy with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice and is based upon characters created by Charles Addams. In the kooky upside-down world of the Addams Family, to be sad is to be happy, to feel pain is to feel joy and death and suffering are the stuff of their dreams. Gomez and Morticia’s eighteen year old daughter Wednesday, admits to her father that she has fallen on love with Lucas, a boy from a from a normal respectable Ohio family and begs him not to tell her mother. Now Gomez must do something he has never done before - keep a secret from his beloved wife. To make matters worse Wednesday has invited the family to their home for dinner. In one fateful night, secrets are disclosed, relationships tested and the Addams family must face up to the one thing they have managed to avoid for generations - change!

Cameron Trail was just outstanding as Gomez Addams maintaining the Spanish accent throughout in both acting and singing. He was elegantly debonair and charismatic and definitely ‘thought’ himself as head of the family, but did show the vulnerable side of the character wonderfully. His comic timing was spot on and his powerful singing, especially in ‘Happy/Sad’, was just divine - a truly dynamic performance. There was a great stage chemistry between himself and his wife, Morticia, who was stunningly played by Reema Rose. In an exquisite black dress she was stylish, glamorous, seductive and so sophisticated. She most definitely ruled the roost! Her singing was delightful and her dancing was terrific as evidenced in the superb ‘Tango de Amor’ with Gomez. Ru Kniveton, as Wednesday Addams, was very much the feisty, determined, manipulative and stroppy teenager. She commanded the stage, sang beautifully and her persuasive interaction with her father, the provoking of her mother with the change into a yellow dress, her mischievousness with her brother and her endearing actions towards Lucas were all so superbly delivered. Jake Perry was a hoot as Uncle Fester he characterised the role to perfection. His love for the moon was beautifully acknowledged when he sang ‘The Moon and Me’ and during the number there was a lovely back projection of the moon, stage lights were dimmed, the ancestors moved around with lights in their hands and all this made for a very moving and dramatic sequence - even the ‘moon’ sent Fester a kiss! Grandma Addams was hilariously played by Heidi Hand. Her wild hair and ‘scruffy’ outfit together with her stooped body was an ideal portrayal of the character and her antics and comic timing were perfect. Pugsley Addams was played by three young actors, River Mahjouri, Quillen Parker and Benjamin Cooper each having two performances. Playing the role at my visit was Quillen Parkin and what a superb, self-assured and confident portrayal he gave. His screams, when being tortured, were amazing and his obvious love for his sister and how much he would miss her was most apparent when he so movingly and so divinely sang to his Grandma ‘What If’ - a definite star in the making. Lurch, the butler, was very convincingly played by Ross Trail. His deadpan, vacant and silent posturing was quite eerie and when he burst into song - well, what a shock he gave us all! Jonty Banks excelled as Lucas Beineke. He delivered a most endearing and believable portrayal of a lovesick student, the boyfriend of Wednesday and they had a lovely rapport. He has a great singing voice and ‘Crazier The You’, with Wednesday, was super. His parents, Mal and Alice Beineke, were splendidly played by Phil Stanley and Claire Jarman and they complimented each other so well. As Mal, Phil gave a first-rate performance, from being an uptight father and husband to later remembering his more carefree days as he wonderfully sang ‘In The Arms’. Claire Jarman, as Alice, was initially quite dignified, speaking mostly in verse but after she inadvertently takes a ‘potion’ during ‘The Game’ all her inhibitions have now definitely disappeared as, in her ‘Full Disclosure’, she superbly sings and becomes so outrageously sexy and flamboyant - it was brilliant. The ancestors were all amazing, each wearing stunning costumes with ‘deathly’ makeup all appertaining to their different characters. Good use was made by them of the auditorium for exits and entrances and at times they appeared down the side walkways placed behind frames. Their ethereal presence aided by excellent lighting had an enormous and most impressive impact on the production and their harmonious singing together with the splendiferously choreographed dance routines was exceptional.  

The set was excellent as were the props. There were five steps leading up to a balustraded walkway running across the whole width of the stage thus enabling great use to be made of this upper level, with a projection screen which was well utilised. There was the inevitable Hallowe’en type draperies everywhere and the whole was so atmospherically lit creating an ideal ambience. I must add that the lighting effects throughout, were stunning. As I’ve already alluded to, the singing of the principals and that of the ensemble was top-notch and together with the fabulous dancing and dance routines and the magnificent costumes this was indeed a production of the highest standard - and that is my ‘Full Disclosure’!

Many congratulations to the Creative Directors, Helen Oldham, Tom Banks and Phil Simcox, to the Musical Director Richard Hodges, to the Choreographer Jackie O’Brien, to the Back Stage Crew, to the exceptional cast and indeed to everyone else involved in this ‘phantastic’ and awesome production. Also, many thanks for the very warm welcome and hospitality that I received.

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