The Addams Family

Trinity Amateur Operatic Society were back on stage at the Daneside Theatre for their production of the popular ‘The Addams Family’. Directed by Paul Downham, who has directed ‘The Addams Family’ on a number of occasions, this production is surely in safe hands! The set was reliant on video screens that helped establish locations, and allowed quick scene changes, allowing the scenes to flow into each other seamlessly. This ensured the pace was kept up throughout. Other pieces of furniture were brought on to create different locations. There were a few moments where this brought the pace down, but this is being very picky. There were some interesting directorial choices throughout. The opening with having the Addams family suddenly appear drew audible gasps from the audience and was fantastically executed. Having the Ancestors enter through the auditorium was good, as was having the Beineke family do the same. Choosing an audience member to join the dinner scene was an interesting concept. As with all audience participation, you never know what you are going to get. Luckily, the audience member at this performance fully committed. This did detract from the performances of the cast though, as the audience’s attention was on the audience member. What was pleasing to see was that all members of the cast had thought about their individual character. The costumes were very good throughout, with the costumes of the family being instantly recognisable. The Ancestors looked great in their individual ghostly attire.

The musical director was Marilyn Blank. Marilyn led the band well throughout. The band could have helped cover some of the scene changes, which would have kept the audience’s interest in what was happening. The vocals from the cast were very good indeed.

Choreography came from Izzy Rowe. The choreography was well executed by the majority of the cast. There were moments of uncertainty from some of the cast. The tango was a strong dance, performed very well by Harry and Laura, with support from the ensemble. The staging of this number was stunning.

Technical elements were well integrated into the production. Lighting was very good throughout. The visuals from Simon Matthews were a highlight of the production. They were cartoon-like, alluding to the first appearance of the Addams Family, and aided the scene changes. The sound was generally good throughout. The band did seem to be a bit louder than the cast mics, especially in some of the songs.

Harry Jones was simply outstanding as Gomez. The accent was flawless, and every single word could be understood – no mean feat! Harry really brought out the comedic elements of the character, which is something that is sometimes missed. The relationships built with each member of the family were believable – the doting husband, the protective father. An excellent, well-rounded performance.

Laura Beech gave a competent performance as Morticia. She completely looked the part, and executed her vocals and choreography well. She created some excellent relationships with the rest of the cast.

Becky Brady did well as Wednesday. She was suitably demure throughout, and had some pleasing vocals. Becky provided some lovely moments throughout and created some great onstage relationships. There was a strong commitment to character from Becky throughout.

Sophie Williams did well as Pugsley. Sophie was able to show different sides of the character, from the jealousy of Lucas to the sadistic side. There was a good boyish charm to the character as well.

Claire Bentley looked like she was loving every minute as Grandma. She was fully committed to the characterisation, adding greatly to the comedy. The reaction from Claire when Gomez and Morticia were discussing if Grandma was part of the family was very funny.

Sam Clements was certainly an audience favourite as Fester. Sam was suitably funny in the role, and did well as the narrator of the show. His rendition of ‘The Moon and Me’ was well performed by Sam. Fester’s journey to the Moon was executed very well, using the video screen.

Lurch was played by Marcus Wesley. Marcus certainly embodied the character and had excellent facial expressions throughout. Marcus had a great physicality, adding a comedic touch to the character.

Michael Shneck did well as the foil to many of the characters. The straight-laced Republican, Michael certainly looked the part as a Texan cowboy. He worked well with Louise, forming an excellent partnership.

Louise Colohan was in fine voice as the rhyming Alice Beineke. The change in character was spot on after drinking the potion, and Louise really let herself go, which was definitely what was required.

Kieran Picken gave a solid performance as the lovesick Lucas. There was a truth to Kieran’s performance, making it wholly believable. His vocals were good, especially in ‘Crazier Than You’, which was excellently staged with a good use of video projections and sleight of hand.

The ensemble of Ancestors did very well throughout. The ensemble fully committed to their individual character, and it was great to see the characteristics that they brought. They were a constant presence throughout the production, always watching the action. This was an interesting concept, but there were moments when it distracted from what was happening on stage.

Overall, this was a very good production. There were some fantastic principal performances, great technical aspects and excellent costumes.

A big thank you to everyone at Trinity Amateur Operatic Society for their kind invite and their hospitality.

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