The Addams Family

I was very excited to see PMOS’s production of The Addams Family after seeing fabulous promo photos of the leading characters, taken by photographer Kev Moulds, flood social media in the leadup to the show. The PMOS Committee and marketing team should be congratulated for a well-executed publicity campaign. I heard it resulted in a near, if not full sell out run which is always a triumph and shows how effective their hard work was. On arrival to the theatre the warm welcome from Liz, Maureen and Pauline is always appreciated and they look after Daniel and I well, thank you ladies. Onto the performance. The open stage setting with the iconic ghostly gates created a spooky welcome and set the scene perfectly. As the show progressed it revealed more of a fixed set for the Addams House.  This was simple, very eery in style and used well by the cast as they changed through the various scenes and levels. The movement of the smaller pieces of scenery by cast and stage crew worked well and kept a quick pace to the story. With the basis of the story focusing on the Addams Family and the Beineke Family meeting for the first time due to the romantic union of Wednesday and Lucas, these ten characters feature prominently throughout the show, but the clever use of a larger ensemble as the Family Ancestors by the production team, allowed them to utilise the full talent of the PMOS ensemble. Each ancestor character, from Soldier to Showgirl and even a Pope, kept their individual characterisation exceptionally well in each scene. The vocals of the full ensemble numbers were powerful and impressive, mixed with effective choreography fitting of the music style and characters. The costumes and make-up were excellent and well tied together to create a full look. Antony Carter gave an excellent performance as Gomez. Antony was charming, funny and confidently served as the show's anchor, with a powerful performance as he switched between the roles of head of the household, excited host, loved up husband, and devoted father. Contrasting Gomez’s flamboyant Spanish character was Aly Lamond as Morticia. Aly did an outstanding job portraying this iconic character and was majestic, serene, and menacing all in one. Each of her words, gestures and looks were controlled and the humour she brought out of the character was exceptional, which was highlighted in her line delivery choices and her musical numbers.  The scenes with Gomez and Morticia really showcased both characters and showed their relationship to be believably close, with their beautiful tango a highlight. With powerful vocal delivery and faultless melancholy menace, Reece Cavanagh perfectly captured the essence of the crossbow-wielding stroppy adolescent in the role of Wednesday Addams and was a joy to watch. The role of Pugsley Addams was split between Augustus Sweeney and Harrison Cattell and I was lucky to see the show twice and catch both. Both gave excellent performances bringing astute comic timing to their line delivery and facial expressions.  Lewis Compston’s Uncle Fester was just perfect. His costume, make-up, clear accent and singing vocals allowed this unhinged character to narrate the story and keep the audience engaged. His song “The Moon and Me” was the ideal way to capture all these attributes. Grandma Addams played by Valerie Goff did not miss a trick scene stealing with some excellent one liners and committed character work. A fantastic comic performance which never slipped.  Last in the Addams Family line up was Iain G Condie as Lurch. The comedy of having strange noises as his only communication was great, especially the lovely touches when talking to the Beinekes on their arrival, flirting with Alice and wearing her jacket, getting tangled in the phone cable and his reactions to Morticia’s breakdown. Then changing to a great singing voice at the end had the audience laughing. The Beineke Family headed by Mal and Alice provided a sharp contrast to the mysterious Addams characters and this was achieved well by Ryan Wink and Zoe Tennant. Ryan gave a strong and sensible Mal to contrast with Zoe’s bubbly Alice.  Zoe in particular displayed impeccable comedy as the erratic Alice within her song Waiting near the end of Act 1. Reece Folan played their son Lucas and used his strong stage presence and singing vocals to work well with his fellow Beinekes and Wednesday. The song “Crazier Than You” was excellent and confirmed the strong connection between Lucas and Wednesday. Clever direction and creative lighting helped bring Director Gillain’s vision to life and enhance the perfect atmosphere for this creepy and kooky show. Another great success for the entire team at PMOS.

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