The Addams Family

On Saturday 22nd June, I was thrilled to be invited to attend the latest musical theatre production by Preston Musical Comedy Society - ‘The Addams Family’. I’ll save everyone from skipping to the end of this report to find my conclusion and start proceedings with a simple, one-word review… SENSATIONAL!

There is much to be said about this production and I’ll be as thorough as I can - starting with the cast, who were (without exception), fabulous. In the role of Addams patriarch, Gomez, Neil McKnight was simply outstanding. He was the glue which held the cast together and delighted the audience with his portrayal of a man torn between his duties as a husband and as a father. McKnight lit up the stage every time that he stepped out and whilst his impeccable and powerful singing was impressive, it was the little things that really stood out. The subtle winks to the audience, the spring in his step, the exuberant hand gestures - it was a masterclass in musical theatre characterisation. As Gomez’s wife, Morticia, Kate Parkes inhabited the role of the dark and troubling matriarch beautifully. She moved with grace and confidence, providing a wonderful counterpoint to her on-stage husband. Occasionally, some songs felt like they were pushing the lower limits of her vocal range but her singing remained impressive - particularly when the songs built in power and sat more comfortably in Parkes’ natural range.

As daughter, Wednesday, Livs Ball delivered a truly impressive performance. Admittedly, I was initially grumpy that Ball didn’t play the character exactly how I was used to seeing her (she was verging on… happy?!) but as I grew to understand the narrative of the show a little better, I realised that this is what the character had to do, as a catalyst for all that had to follow. Ball’s voice is fantastic and her performance in the duet ‘Crazier Than You’ was an absolute home run. As her boyfriend (and secret fiance), Lucas Beineke, Jack Price gave a suitably preppy and energetic performance, which was a flash of colour in the midst of the dark and gloomy backdrop of the Addams clan. He gave us strong, assured vocals from the outset and was on his toes throughout the show.

Uncle Fester was played by John Gordon Lane and in the role, they were a sensation. They held the audience in the palm of their hands and guided us through the show with confidence, humour and life-affirming joy. Rarely have I seen an actor work so hard on stage, nor an audience appreciate that work so much. Lane had the character down to an art and whilst their interpretation certainly wasn’t a carbon copy of any other iteration of Uncle Fester, they immediately made it their own and the audience lapped it up. Magnificent. A tour de force.

Young actor, Ethan Shimwell, took on the role of youngest Addams offspring, Pugsley and did so with confident vocals and an ever-present glint in his eye. Like JohnGordon Lane’s portrayal of Uncle Fester, Shimwell didn’t give us a Pugsley that we’d seen a hundred times before - rather he made the character his own. Huge credit to the young actor for more than holding his own as part of a much older ensemble of highly-skilled actors, who would have overwhelmed a less accomplished performer. Bright things ahead for this young man, I suspect…

Grandma Addams was played for laughs by the very talented Delphine Walton. Her shuffling gait, brutal one liners and razor sharp cackle had the audience in stitches more than once or twice. It would have been easy for Walton to wander into caricature but she never did, instead adding to the very heart of the production.

As soon to be Addams in-laws, Mal and Alice Beineke, Kirsty Chapman and Derek Winward were the All American, suburban counterpoints to the positively creepy Addams Family, and their tentative foray into a world they weren’t expecting was performed brilliantly. Both actors gave confident, assured performances and I would be remiss to not make mention of Chapman’s powerhouse vocals. Her voice is extraordinary. Well done to both performers.

Finally for the leading cast, I must mention the performance of James Moss, who played Addams Family mainstay, Lurch the butler. He slowly dragged himself around the stage to great comic effect and could reduce the audience to fits of laughter with the subtle raising of an eyebrow. When the inevitable finally happened and he transitioned from grunts and moans to singing, the audience went wild - and quite rightly so.

I’m a big believer that having an extraordinary leading cast means very little unless their work is underpinned and indeed elevated by an equally talented ensemble and on this occasion, Preston Musical Comedy Society delivered another knockout. As the Ancestors, they were on and off stage constantly, and quite often they stayed on as observers and commentators, which was a really smart move for the production. There were many of them and absolutely no weak links. Normally, I wouldn’t name every member of such a large ensemble in a report but given their quality, I fear it would be a crime not to. Huge congratulations to the wonderful Jack Barratt, Hannah Bates, Stephen Hall, Donatella Heyworth, Paula Hodgson, Gemma Jones, Hattie Pridmore, Jake Pulley, Hannah Riordan, Rachel Robinson, Lucy Spencer and Eli-Mai Waite - each of you deserves praise for your stellar work.

On to the production team, and once again there is much to be said. Direction from Jane Tudor was sharp, smart, intuitive and almost without fault. Every moment of the show felt crafted, every decision well thought out and every choice made for the betterment of the production. Tudor’s experience was clear to see in the way that the company were drilled and how they obviously had a keen understanding of what they needed to do to grab the audience and keep hold for over two hours. Kudos on a job well done.

Choreography by Lorna Cookson was inventive and entertaining throughout and the performers didn’t put a foot wrong. Every number had been skillfully created and rehearsed and Cookson’s choreography was sharp and playful from the outset. There was a combination of dance styles on show in ‘The Addams Family’ and everything felt fresh, relevant and entertaining. This wasn’t dance for dance’s sake, it was an intrinsic and joyful element of the production.

Musical direction on this production was courtesy of Bruce McLaren and were I wearing a hat, it would be well and truly tipped in his direction. Every number (EVERY NUMBER!) was all but flawless from an audience perspective and it was abundantly clear that McLaren had worked wonders with the cast. Harmonies were tight and confident throughout the show and each performer on stage knew exactly what they were expected to do. Bravo, bravo, bravo.

The look of the show was phenomenal. The production team did an outstanding job in creating the spooky atmosphere required by this show and the bar was set upon entry to the auditorium. The set was well-made, cleverly designed and endlessly multi-functional but without the absurdly good lighting from Sam Robinson-Davies, it wouldn’t have looked quite as good as it did, as the lighting elevated an already impressive presentation. Admittedly, there were a couple of moments where cast members on the small thrust at the front of the stage weren’t comprehensively lit but I suspect this was more down to the limitations of where the lighting rig is situated, rather than any poor design from Robinson-Davies.

Sound by Matthew Hughes was near flawless, apart from a tiny number of immediately forgivable late mics. The mix of vocals and backing tracks was spot on from the first note to the last and it was clear that the sound was in the control of someone who really knew what they were doing.

Wardrobe and make-up were sumptuous and the attention to detail was hugely impressive. Credit goes to Janet Radcliffe, Anne Markland and the students of The Creative Media Training Academy at Preston College for their stellar work. This show would immediately fall flat without extraordinary wardrobe and make-up, and once again, Preston Musical Comedy Society exceeded expectations. Adding to this was a huge number of props, expertly managed by Lauren Twist and Lisa Jolliffe, who I imagine were extremely busy backstage!

I could (and have!) go on and on and on about this production of ‘The Addams Family’. I had never seen the show before and as a long-time fan of the original TV show, the movies of the 90s and Netflix’s recent triumph, ‘Wednesday’, I worried that this show might not quite be my thing. I thought it could possibly be a bit twee for my personal taste but I am thrilled to be wrong, on this occasion. From the first moment to the last, this show was a joy to behold. I was joined in the auditorium by my wife, who is a dance teacher with decades of experience and my nine year old daughter, who is renowned for her withering reviews of anything she doesn’t think meets her exacting standards but each of us was blown away by this production. We chatted about it enthusiastically all the way home and into the next day, each picking out our own personal highlights. There were many!

Massive congratulations to everyone involved in bringing this astonishing production to the stage of The Preston Playhouse. It genuinely ranks as one of the very best amateur productions I’ve had the pleasure of seeing and it was clear from the thunderous applause in the auditorium at the end of the show that the audience simply loved it, too. If this is the standard of musical theatre in District 2, I know that I’m in for a fantastic first year as your new rep. Thanks again for the invitation and hospitality, and I thoroughly look forward to my next visit!

 

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