The Addams Family

This new musical comedy adds to the list of firsts for the District from LAOS and offers a variety of challenging roles and music. The story line really concerns the love story of young Wednesday, daughter of Gomez and Morticia the leaders of the dead and the ugly, who has fallen for a normal boy Lucas from a respectable family. Wednesday engineers an invitation to dinner for Lucas and his family but with Gomez torn between granting his daughter’s request and keeping it a secret from his wife, problems abound.  Lynsey Craig gave a realistic portrayal of Wednesday fearing her mother’s reaction and singing well particularly in Pulled. Stewart Borthwick was suitably cast as Gomez, catching the complexity and tension of the father and husband loyalties and singing Trapped and What If with experienced ease. In fine voice Claire Wilson dominated the scenes with her portrayal of a majestic Morticia who suspected trouble was brewing and who in the end saw in her daughter the struggles of her younger self. Lewis Baird came across convincingly as fearful and resentful brother Pugsley while Arron Flannigan’s grunting Lurch was a hoot. In the oddity stakes, Derek Easton played mad Uncle Fester to the full, unexpectedly pulling heartstrings as he fell in love with the moon while Shelley McLaren almost stole the show with her robust, bent over, cantankerous Grandma. With such strong characters, the Beineke family could have looked bland. But no- Andrew Gibson as Lucas showed determination, Gordon Gallacher as father Mel was a strong contrast to Gomez and Chiara Sportelli as almost bespoke mother Alice became a catalyst for changing attitudes. The horror of their son joining such a weird family was palpable.  All was acted out against a backdrop of the dead - a chorus in an array of costumes and make up such that all were superbly ‘dead’ and unrecognisable as themselves - and a video wall that enhanced the weirdness and gave the wonderful moment of Uncle Fester’s face in the moon at the end. This show had a technically difficult score which was well handled by the MD and ensured that big numbers like Full Disclosure and poignant ones like Lets Live Before We Die came across.  Overall, spooky, creepy, and funny.  Well done everyone.

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