The Addams Family

Seen on:    Saturday 2nd May 2026 by Stephen Fudge (District 7 Rep) on behalf of Mike Purnell

Thank you once again to Portishead Players for the warm welcome extended to me at Somerset Hall while covering this production on Mike’s behalf. As always, the hospitality from the front of house team was greatly appreciated and immediately created a welcoming atmosphere for the evening ahead.

I particularly enjoyed the pre-show interactions from “The Ancestors,” which proved a clever and immersive touch that instantly helped place the audience into the wonderfully gothic and eccentric world of the Addams Family. The additional effort made in decorating both the hall and entrance area further enhanced the mood before the performance had even begun and demonstrated a real commitment to creating a complete theatrical experience from the moment audiences arrived.

As the performance began, I thought it was a clever touch to have the hands emerging through the curtains clicking their fingers, immediately establishing the recognisable tone of the show. I did, however, feel the following musical underscoring perhaps continued slightly too long before the curtains finally opened, as the audience were clearly ready and eager for the action to begin.

The opening scenes were well acted, and there was an evident commitment from the cast to their individual characterisations from the outset. Importantly, there was never a moment where I felt stage positioning was awkward or poorly balanced, and once again Portishead Players delivered an exceptional set. The visual presentation of the production was consistently impressive and provided an excellent framework for the storytelling.

Throughout the show, I did find myself questioning why scene change music was not utilised. There were moments where the audience sat in silence awaiting the next scene, which created occasional awkward pauses in momentum. In a musical production especially, transitional music can be an incredibly effective tool in maintaining atmosphere and allowing audiences to remain engaged while scenery adjustments take place. One example that particularly stood out was the transition in Act Two from “The Garden of the Addams House” into “Pugsley’s Bedroom.” I wondered whether the mid-stage curtains could have been utilised to allow the bedroom scene to be preset during the preceding action, helping the transition feel more immediate and fluid.

That said, I certainly felt the production truly found its rhythm during Act Two, with the pacing noticeably improving as the show progressed. There were several standout highlights across the evening: “Pulled” was an absolute triumph and had the audience laughing aloud throughout, Lurch was superbly committed and expertly milked every possible audience reaction, and Grandma proved an absolute delight to watch from start to finish.

Technical effects

The technical elements of the production worked very effectively throughout the evening, helping to fully capture the gothic mood and atmosphere of the show. Lighting supported the action well and enhanced the tone of each scene, while sound effects were consistently well timed and integrated smoothly into the performance. Collectively, the technical team provided strong support to the production and helped maintain the distinctive style and energy of The Addams Family.

Musical Director

Firstly, I must congratulate you on striking the right musical balance throughout the entire production. So often within musical theatre, bands can unintentionally overpower performers, but that was never even slightly an issue here. Vocals were heard clearly throughout, allowing both the storytelling and humour within the songs to land exactly as intended.

It was evident that strong collaborative work had taken place between musical direction and performers, ensuring cast members were comfortable and confident within their vocal performances. This allowed each number to be delivered with clarity, personality, and expression, greatly enhancing the audience’s enjoyment.

Choreographer

Choreography was another well delivered element of this production. The movement throughout was simple yet highly effective, supporting the characterisation without ever feeling overcomplicated or distracting. Importantly, nothing created awkward stage pictures or overshadowed the performances themselves, allowing the cast to remain comfortable and confident within each number. The choreography blended naturally into the overall style of the show and contributed positively.

Morticia Addams

You brought a wonderful stage presence to the role of Morticia and captured the essence of the character very effectively throughout the show. Your character work was strong, maintaining Morticia’s calm elegance and dry wit consistently, while your singing voice added further strength to the role and suited the musical style beautifully. An assured and enjoyable performance – well done.

Gomez Addams

What a wonderful character to play. From the suits to the accent and the sheer passion Gomez possesses, the role offers so much opportunity for performance, and you clearly embraced that throughout the evening. I must particularly commend your diction, which was crystal clear throughout – a real credit when performing with an accent.

At times, however, I did feel there was room to lean even further into Gomez’s wonderfully exaggerated gestures and expressiveness. He is such a larger-than-life character that embracing those over-the-top qualities even more could elevate the comedy and energy of the role. Overall, though, this was a confident and enjoyable performance.

Pugsley Addams

Pugsley is such a wonderful comedy role, and you captured the character brilliantly throughout the performance. You brought great energy and personality to the stage, and I particularly enjoyed the dynamic between yourself and Wednesday, which worked extremely well. Together, you helped create one of the standout moments of the evening during “Pulled,” which landed superbly with the audience. A very enjoyable performance.

Wednesday

This character sits firmly at the centre of the storyline, and you fully embraced the importance of the role throughout the show. What I particularly enjoyed was that you chose to make the character your own. With the recent popularity of Wednesday, it would have been very easy to simply imitate familiar portrayals, but instead you brought your own interpretation and committed confidently to it. That individuality made the performance feel fresh and authentic. Great work.

Fester Addams

What an iconic role to take on, and you certainly did not disappoint. Your performance captured everything audiences hope for from Fester – weird, wacky, and just the right amount of slightly disturbing, all balanced wonderfully throughout. You committed fully to the character and created a performance that was entertaining and memorable. A terrific job.

Lurch

This was a brilliant performance. You demonstrated exactly how to command a stage and capture an audience – all without saying a word… at least until the very end! Your visual comedy was spot on throughout, and you showed excellent awareness of timing, reaction, and audience engagement. Every appearance felt purposeful and entertaining.

Grandma

Well, if there is a textbook on how to steal a show, you must have written it! Your portrayal of Grandma was a shining example of how a supporting role can often deliver some of the biggest impact within a production. Every appearance was packed with personality, confidence, and wonderfully judged comedy. Congratulations on a truly comic genius of a performance – an absolute delight from start to finish.

Lucas Beineke

Well done on breaking through with this character. In a show filled with so many larger-than-life personalities and eccentric moments, it would be easy for Lucas to become slightly lost within the madness, but you ensured that never happened. You held your own confidently within the action and maintained a strong presence.

Mal Beineke & Alice Beineke

Together, you made a wonderful duo and provided an excellent contrast to the chaos and eccentricity of the Addams Family. From Mal’s wonderfully reserved and grounded characterisation to Alice’s hilarious dinner scene performance, you both brought great balance and humour to the production. Your chemistry helped anchor many of the family interactions throughout the show. Well done to you both.

Ensemble

As with every production I see, a strong ensemble is genuinely the backbone of a show, and that was certainly true here. You were all brilliant, fully committing to your individual ancestor characters and bringing wonderful variety and personality to every scene. From the two-headed ancestor to the Titanic passenger, each character felt distinct and thoughtfully created, which added greatly to the atmosphere and visual storytelling of the production. Collectively, you made every scene you appeared in a joy to watch. Congratulations to all of you.

Director

Bringing The Addams Family to the stage requires a careful balance of gothic atmosphere, eccentric comedy, heartfelt family moments, and strong pacing, and overall, you delivered a production that captured those qualities effectively. From the immersive pre-show experience through to the commitment shown by the cast throughout the evening, it was clear that a great deal of thought and care had gone into creating the world of the Addams Family.

One of the strongest aspects of your direction was the confidence shown in allowing performers to fully commit to their individual characterisations. Every principal role felt distinct, while the ensemble added wonderful layers of personality and visual storytelling that helped make the stage feel consistently alive and engaging. The pacing of the production notably strengthened during Act Two, where the show found its rhythm and momentum, allowing many of the comedy moments to land as intended.

There were a few areas where tighter scene transitions and the use of scene change music would help maintain atmosphere and momentum even further, particularly during some of the quieter pauses between scenes. Equally, a handful of transitions may have benefitted from additional presetting to allow action to continue more fluidly. These are relatively small observations within what was otherwise a very entertaining production.

Overall, this was an enjoyable evening of theatre, and the audience reaction spoke volumes, you should be very proud of the world you created on stage. Congratulations to you and your entire team on a wonderfully entertaining production.

Stephen Fudge

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