The Addams Family

Musicality Academy brought a delightfully spooky and energetic production of The Addams Family Musical young@part to the Taliesin Arts Centre in Swansea. The production was presented as part of Musicality Academy’s annual show, offering younger performers the opportunity to take on a lively, character-driven musical comedy based on the well-known Addams Family story.

The young cast performed with confidence, commitment and a strong sense of ensemble. The principal characters were clearly defined, with the Addams family’s trademark deadpan humour contrasting well against the brighter, more conventional world of the Beinekes. The performers embraced the eccentricity of the material, and there was a pleasing level of discipline in the way scenes moved from comedy into song and back again. I also must applaud both casts for bringing their own interpretation to their characters and having fun in doing so. As I watched both casts, who all performed with aplomb, and gave it their all, I couldn’t help but notice some standout performances. 

For the Matinee cast, Gomez was played by a cool and collected Curtis Martin, who balanced the chaos with cool comedic timing. Morticia was played by Tara Wells, who managed to capture the effortless grace of Morticia with a belting vocal to boot. Wednesday was played by Lucy Dawson, who managed to capture the darkness of Wednesday while adding in the softness needed to portray someone in love. Her rendition of Pulled was excellent also. Pugsley was played by Olivia Merchant, who brought the brooding teenager, and played up the destructive character that Pugsley is. Uncle Fester was played by Charlie Kenny. This I must say was one of the standout performances for me. She played him with the fun, chaotic and slightly kooky energy needed for this role, and her rendition of The Moon and Me, was lovely. Grandma was played by Polly Davies, and she played a believable older person, and some of her one liners went down a treat. Lurch was played by Lowri Mainwaring, who played the lovable zombie servant on stilts, which thoroughly impressed me, and some comedic moments were well timed by her. Mal Beineke was played by Evan Davis, and he brought the sternness and seriousness to the role, which was needed to contrast the later laid-back tone that the character needs at the end. Lucas Beineke was played by Noah Jeffrey, who played a lovable character and sang a lovely rendition of Crazier than you with Lucy. Alice Beineke was played by Bethan Guard, yet another performance that stood out for me. She brought the kooky, rhyming Alice to life, and her vocals were outstanding. 

There was some lovely ensemble work with all the ancestors and the Toy Box, with some of their numbers a highlight for me throughout the performance. Especially Moon and Me, it was such a lovely touch to have the balloons represent the moon. And the Toy box being a part of Pulled was a great creative choice. This is true for both ensembles in both shows. Ensemble is always an important role in any performance, and it must be said that both shows had strong ensembles and worked very well all together. 

For the evening show Gomez was played by Oliver Davies, who brought his own interpretation to the role, as did all the evening cast as mentioned earlier. Oliver played Gomez as more of a fumbling chaotic man, and his comedic timing was great. Morticia was played by Isabella Diddams, who played Morticia as a sassier lady, and some lovely moments were had. Wednesday was played by Layla Begley, who was a cool lady, and sang Pulled extremely well. Pugsley was played by Jesse James, a lovely performance by this young performer, who brought the cunning of Pugsley to life. Uncle Fester was played by Joshua Sullivan, who played Fester as a much cooler kookier character. Grandma was played by Milly Wilkins, who again made the audience roar with her one liners. Lurch was played by Evie Morgan, who again played Lurch on stilts, and brought the house down with her comedic timing. Mal Beineke was played by Thomas Matthews, who brought the authority of Mal and was well played throughout. Lucas Beineke was played by Yusef Jama, who had a great rapport with Layla, and sang a fabulous rendition of Crazier than You. Alice Beineke was played by Maisie-Lee Collins, who brought the sunshine rhyming Alice to life, and played the contrast well. 

Vocally, the cast approached the score with enthusiasm and clarity. Ensemble numbers had good energy, and the company created a strong atmosphere whenever the full group appeared on stage. The choreography supported the storytelling well, with movement that suited the age and ability of the performers while still giving the production style and visual impact.

The direction gave the young performers clear opportunities to shine both individually and as a company. The production maintained a brisk pace, important for a shorter young@part edition, and the staging made effective use of the performance space. Costumes, styling and character choices helped to establish the familiar Addams world, while the contrast with the Beineke family added humour and variety. Some of the costume highlights for me were the touch of red in the ancestors, and the toy Wednesday and Pugsley. Very clever. 

The technical elements supported the performers and contributed to the overall atmosphere of the piece. Lighting and sound helped create the gothic-comedy tone without overwhelming the young cast. The production felt well prepared, with a strong sense of teamwork from both performers and creative staff.

Musicality Academy’s The Addams Family Musical young@part was an enjoyable and spirited youth production, full of humour, energy and commitment. The cast showed excellent enthusiasm and worked together to deliver a confident performance that celebrated the fun and oddness of the Addams Family story. It was clear that the young performers had been well supported and encouraged, resulting in a production that was entertaining for the audience and valuable for the development of the students involved. Congratulations Musicality and I look forward to your next production. 

The views in this report are solely of the author.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.