The Addams Family

A lovely welcome, for the production by Risiing Stars, as always, as we entered the busy foyer. The atmosphere was buzzing with excitement whilst the audience waited for the show to begin. I have never seen this show before and was eager to see what it was all about. I didn’t know what to expect and waited with great anticipation.  The story is a musical comedy about a dark and mysterious girl called Wednesday Addams falling in love with a normal boy from Ohio called Lucas. They both come from totally different backgrounds and arrange for their families to meet over dinner. Chaos soon erupts as the cultures of the two families collide.

The show was performed by young, talented people aged between 8 to 17 year olds. I really was impressed with all the characters. They worked very well together with great rapport. The singing was superb, great harmonies gave the songs that spooky atmosphere and the emotions in the songs were great.

Gomez Addams (Sebastian Morrison) had good stage presence and played the part of a father with poise, not an easy task. Morticia Addams (Amelia Parker) delivered the accent really well with clear diction which complimented her portrayal of the character. Wednesday (Lydia Hall) and Pugsley (Tess Bonnett) acted like a typical brother and sister with a love-hate relationship. They brought a moody demeanor to their characters which was both entertaining and engaging.  Uncle Fester (Rosie Ashdown-Nichol) brought this character to life and captured the weird, wacky, yet caring personality with charm. I especially enjoyed Moon Says I Love you. Alice Beineke, played by  Francesca Banham with great acting ability, was superb. Mal Beineke (Honey Eversden) played the part of a man with style and portraying his mannerisms effortlessly. Lucas Beineke (Zach Knight) was bumbling and awkward in his approach to the character. Lurch (Niamh Mckenzie), who played a non-speaking role, did so well in her characterisation with body language and facial expressions. Grandma (Emily Steed) was stereotypical in her performance. I loved all the ancestors in their separate roles to create the mood of the performance. Good comedy timing was shown throughout by everyone The contrast of the two different families was very clever and you gave the show your all.

Directors Clare Morrison and Jenn Steed, Musical Director Chris Steed and Choreographer Jo Forster all in their own individual way, clearly worked hard to create this fantastic show. The set had a dark and gothic feel, very appropriate. The lighting complimented the stage and set, which was very effective. I particularly liked the use of the lighting where half the stage was lit and the other in darkness to create the mood. The use of the stage was spot on for such a big cast. Not always easy to do to make sure everyone is seen but done with flair.

The songs were very catchy and everyone did a grand job to keep the audience following what was going on. I loved the closing number of act one, Full Disclosure. A brilliant number which involved everyone. The acting was spectacular by all and Death Is Just Around The Corner was very funny.

The choreography was very apt and effective for the performance.

The props were in keeping with the production and I really liked the use of the cast portraying the leaves and branches for the trees in One Normal Night.

The costumes were in character and looked brilliant. I especially liked the opening number with the black, white and cream colour schemes, which set the scene for the show. Great make-up was used for the ancestors who looked like death; a nice touch.

In my opinion, if the stage crew are coming on to change a set and not necessarily in the blackout, it may have looked more effective to dress up like the ancestors and give that continuity throughout.

It was refreshing to see something I hadn’t seen before and this company really portrayed the show with finesse and style.  Thank you and well done to you all.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.