Leigh Operatic & Dramatic Society presents
The Addams Family
The Palace Theatre,
Westcliff on Sea
6th May - 9th May 2015
The Addams Family
The Palace Theatre,
Westcliff on Sea
6th May - 9th May 2015
One thing about LODS is that they are not afraid to go out on a limb and take a risk. The Addams Family musical premiered on Broadway in 2010 but limped back into its crypt after a rather less than successful run, despite having the big names of Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth headlining the cast. It has never had a West End run, although rumour has it that this could change as theatre land has been whispering about a possible production of the show for 2016.
So, having never seen the show and having no preconceived ideas of what to expect, aside from enjoying The Addams Family cartoons as a child, I was intrigued to see what LODS had to offer with this show.
Just like a good book, if you’re not gripped in the first couple of pages you can quite easily just toss it aside. This show opens with the familiar Addams Family signature tune and quickly introduces us to the family in “When You’re An Addams” and it is blatantly clear from this point on that this production is going to keep us well and truly on the page.
The Addams Family are the goulishly macabre clan, who live in a large spooky mansion in the middle of New York’s Central Park, along with their dead ancestors who are occasionally let out of the family vault. The story behind the show is one that will resonate with most families and especially dads with daughters. Eighteen year old Wednesday Addams, played by Rebecca Wallace, has met and fallen in love with a ‘normal’ guy, student Lucas Beinicke played with some lovely moments by Matthew Giles, and she wants to introduce him, and his family, to her somewhat unorthodox family. She tells her dad, Gomez, that she and Lucas have actually already become engaged and asks him to do something that he has never had to do before - keep it a secret from his all-knowing wife, Morticia. Easier said than done for Gomez, as we later find out.
A dinner party is arranged for the families to be introduced and knowing how embarrassing parents can be, they are respectively instructed by Wednesday and Lucas to try and be ‘normal’ when they meet - something that inevitably and hilariously proves to be rather a struggle. Throw in a jealous brother, Pugsley, who steals a potion that will turn “Mary Poppins into Medea” from his crazy, weed smoking Grandma, wonderfully played by Sarah Kelleway and you pretty much have the plot of what turns out to be one of the funniest shows the West End has yet to meet.
The part of Wednesday as a lovelorn teenager is not an easy one; she needs to be able to act as well as belt out her songs; Rebecca Wallace does this with ease and pulls off a very believable performance.
Every one of the main cast have clearly defined their roles. Neil Lands as the silky Latin charmer, Gomez, has great comic timing and really endears himself to the audience especially with his song “Wednesday’s Growing Up” and as the husband who is trying to keep harmony amongst the women of the house in “Trapped”, which is very funny. His witty asides to the audience had me chuckling away.
Helen Sharpe’s Morticia is just perfect and she could certainly give Bebe Neuwirth a run for her money in this role. She also had me in fits with Morticia’s laugh - please do it more! I enjoyed her and Gomez’s Tango in Act 2 which was wonderfully interpreted.
Barry Jones as Fester, who kind of narrates the story, also stood out with his characterisation and I particularly enjoyed “The Moon and Me” which was beautifully sung and staged. Likewise, little Pugsley, played by Reece Emery, who hit all the right notes. Also a special mention to Peter Brown, who couldn’t have been cast more perfectly as Lurch.
The ‘normal’ family, with dad, Mal Beinicke, played by Simon Sharpe, also gave us a good chuckle, and particularly Laura Hurrell as Lucas’s mum, Alice, despite looking far too young to have a teenage son. No matter, for her portrayal of the ever optimistic, Alice was hilarious. “Full Disclosure” at the end of Act 1 was probably my favourite number.
This brilliantly stylised show is completed with a chorus which is made up of the dead ancestors who all have their own individual characters and who contribute some fabulous song and dance numbers to the production. Some of these songs are also pretty tricky and hats off to Rachael Plunkett who has clearly put in a lot of work here.
This is also a very tech heavy show and there are some marvellous moments that must keep backstage members on full alert. Lighting in this production also takes on a crucial role and Robert Watson never fails to disappoint.
Director, Sallie Warrington has brought some truly funny and creative ideas to this production and has clearly put a lot of work into drawing out the comedy of the piece. As always, her choreography is clever, original and a joy to watch.
This is such a fun show that I find it hard to understand why it didn’t run for longer on Broadway. It completely satisfies my sense of humour, although some of it may be a little risque for younger members of the audience despite it being fairly subtle. The songs and lyrics are memorable and witty and it has a laugh a minute dialogue along with an easygoing storyline. Perhaps it just came out at the wrong time, perhaps the US audiences didn’t appreciate the humour - frankly, who cares because the fact is that right now it’s here - and Broadway’s loss is without a doubt Southend’s gain!
www.southendtheatres.org.uk
So, having never seen the show and having no preconceived ideas of what to expect, aside from enjoying The Addams Family cartoons as a child, I was intrigued to see what LODS had to offer with this show.
Just like a good book, if you’re not gripped in the first couple of pages you can quite easily just toss it aside. This show opens with the familiar Addams Family signature tune and quickly introduces us to the family in “When You’re An Addams” and it is blatantly clear from this point on that this production is going to keep us well and truly on the page.
The Addams Family are the goulishly macabre clan, who live in a large spooky mansion in the middle of New York’s Central Park, along with their dead ancestors who are occasionally let out of the family vault. The story behind the show is one that will resonate with most families and especially dads with daughters. Eighteen year old Wednesday Addams, played by Rebecca Wallace, has met and fallen in love with a ‘normal’ guy, student Lucas Beinicke played with some lovely moments by Matthew Giles, and she wants to introduce him, and his family, to her somewhat unorthodox family. She tells her dad, Gomez, that she and Lucas have actually already become engaged and asks him to do something that he has never had to do before - keep it a secret from his all-knowing wife, Morticia. Easier said than done for Gomez, as we later find out.
A dinner party is arranged for the families to be introduced and knowing how embarrassing parents can be, they are respectively instructed by Wednesday and Lucas to try and be ‘normal’ when they meet - something that inevitably and hilariously proves to be rather a struggle. Throw in a jealous brother, Pugsley, who steals a potion that will turn “Mary Poppins into Medea” from his crazy, weed smoking Grandma, wonderfully played by Sarah Kelleway and you pretty much have the plot of what turns out to be one of the funniest shows the West End has yet to meet.
The part of Wednesday as a lovelorn teenager is not an easy one; she needs to be able to act as well as belt out her songs; Rebecca Wallace does this with ease and pulls off a very believable performance.
Every one of the main cast have clearly defined their roles. Neil Lands as the silky Latin charmer, Gomez, has great comic timing and really endears himself to the audience especially with his song “Wednesday’s Growing Up” and as the husband who is trying to keep harmony amongst the women of the house in “Trapped”, which is very funny. His witty asides to the audience had me chuckling away.
Helen Sharpe’s Morticia is just perfect and she could certainly give Bebe Neuwirth a run for her money in this role. She also had me in fits with Morticia’s laugh - please do it more! I enjoyed her and Gomez’s Tango in Act 2 which was wonderfully interpreted.
Barry Jones as Fester, who kind of narrates the story, also stood out with his characterisation and I particularly enjoyed “The Moon and Me” which was beautifully sung and staged. Likewise, little Pugsley, played by Reece Emery, who hit all the right notes. Also a special mention to Peter Brown, who couldn’t have been cast more perfectly as Lurch.
The ‘normal’ family, with dad, Mal Beinicke, played by Simon Sharpe, also gave us a good chuckle, and particularly Laura Hurrell as Lucas’s mum, Alice, despite looking far too young to have a teenage son. No matter, for her portrayal of the ever optimistic, Alice was hilarious. “Full Disclosure” at the end of Act 1 was probably my favourite number.
This brilliantly stylised show is completed with a chorus which is made up of the dead ancestors who all have their own individual characters and who contribute some fabulous song and dance numbers to the production. Some of these songs are also pretty tricky and hats off to Rachael Plunkett who has clearly put in a lot of work here.
This is also a very tech heavy show and there are some marvellous moments that must keep backstage members on full alert. Lighting in this production also takes on a crucial role and Robert Watson never fails to disappoint.
Director, Sallie Warrington has brought some truly funny and creative ideas to this production and has clearly put a lot of work into drawing out the comedy of the piece. As always, her choreography is clever, original and a joy to watch.
This is such a fun show that I find it hard to understand why it didn’t run for longer on Broadway. It completely satisfies my sense of humour, although some of it may be a little risque for younger members of the audience despite it being fairly subtle. The songs and lyrics are memorable and witty and it has a laugh a minute dialogue along with an easygoing storyline. Perhaps it just came out at the wrong time, perhaps the US audiences didn’t appreciate the humour - frankly, who cares because the fact is that right now it’s here - and Broadway’s loss is without a doubt Southend’s gain!
www.southendtheatres.org.uk
What the audience thought
Lily Billham, 17, Shoeburyness
“I’ve never seen the cartoon of The Addams Family. I thought it was really good. It’s one of the best LODS shows I’ve seen. Morticia was my favourite character.”
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Ian Morton, 47, Westcliff on Sea
“I thought the effects were really good and also the choreography. The main characters had a lot of presence and it was very easy to watch. Morticia was fabulous.”
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Fabulous show pictures by Stephen Hawke - click to enlarge