The Addams Family

‘Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, is growing up and has a shocking secret that only Gomez knows. She’s fallen in love with a sweet young man from a respectable family. Will Gomez manage to keep his daughter’s secret until the two families meet for a fateful dinner with hilarious consequences?’

This was the question the audience was faced with on booking tickets for this show, and anyone who witnessed the show now knows the answer. What an incredible evening’s entertainment we had, from the moment the orchestra started up to the moment the curtain came down. Set in the gloomiest of churchyards, we are introduced to the Family, and not your everyday bunch of people! The opening number was well sung and movement was a sign of the choreography to come, well-executed by all on stage.  

Ian Shephard as Gomez and Bea Coleman as Morticia portrayed their roles as heads of the family with aplomb, convincing everyone that they are not a family to be messed with, but who wore the trousers in this relationship….I think we all know. They were ably supported by Luke Groves (Uncle Fester), Jayne Ison (Grandma) and Jack Dolaghan as the young Pugsley Addams, all displaying comedic timing so that no chance of a laugh was missed, this really is a very funny show. There was no doubt that Tilly Whitehouse as Wednesday Addams is a star, she stayed in character throughout, with her robotic style movement and her sharp tones, also performing songs very confidently.  As for Lurch (Simon Docherty), his presence on stage added to the strangeness of the family and his song at the end was a complete surprise, having mumbled and groaned his way through the show.

The ’normal’ family were the Beinekes, played by Paul Ingles (Mal), Suzy Donnelly (Alice) and Nick Room as Lucas, Wednesday’s love interest. These started out as quite a contrast, but as the show progressed, we discovered that everyone has a ‘strange’ side to them. All three of them performed confidently and sang effortlessly.  The principals were well supported by a confident ensemble, with commanding harmonies and assured dance routines, congratulations must go to Cat Sambrook for her innovative routines which the whole cast delivered to a high standard.

Ian Room, as Musical Director, controlled the whole performance with expertise, the orchestra were very accomplished and nicely balanced, coping with some very tricky rhythms. The only thing I could say as a negative, was, that on the very rare occasion, the soloists were over-powered by the accompaniment.

The scenery and props were very effective, and the scene changes happened without a hitch, sometimes going unnoticed. The production was enhanced by effective costumes and makeup and the lighting plot added to the atmosphere, principals need to be aware of where the lit areas are on stage, as there were times when they drifted into a dark spot to deliver their lines.

All in all, this was an extremely professional production, well directed by Steph Coleman. There were some lovely touches, especially Uncle Fester’s departure at the end. This was my first time seeing a WOS show, I certainly hope it won’t be my last. They have an excellent reputation, and hope that they go from strength to strength.

Congratulations to everyone involved.

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