Spooky season is upon us and what better production to stage than Addams Family, Newton Amateur Dramatic and Operatic Society (NADOS) just one week before Halloween have created the right amount of spookiness for this spectacular family musical comedy.
Staged in a high school there was a huge buzz of families with their children dressed in Halloween outfits or as characters from the show, it was a delight to see the community spirit with front of house dressed in Halloween attire and all pulling together to ensure the audience was well catered for and able to find their seating.
Addams Family has become enormously popular in the autumn months for many theatre companies, this being my third viewing of the show in less than a couple of months.
The story is that of the kooky, upside-down world of the Addams Family, to be sad is to be happy, to feel pain is to feel joy, and death and suffering are the stuff of their dreams. Nonetheless, this quirky family still has to deal with many of the same challenges faced by any other family, and the biggest nightmare faced by every family is when our children are growing up.
Wednesday Addams (Sophie Butterworth) is growing up and has fallen in love with Lucas (Harry Thompson) a young man from a normal, respectable, if somewhat conservative family.
Wednesday confides in her father Gomez (Jim McMillan) that she is secretly engaged and has invited Lucas’s family to dinner. She tells her father not to tell her mother about the engagement – Gomez is then conflicted having never lied or kept anything from his wife Morticia (Jo Lee) however, he remains silent and promises his daughter that they will try to act as normal as possible for the duration of the dinner.
As the show unfolds Wednesday is not the only one hiding a secret, as there is more than meets the eye to the seemingly perfect parents Alice (Vicky Dilworth) and Mal (John Kennedy). You see Pugsley Addams the mischievous sibling (Lilly Jaundril) struggle to come to terms with his love-struck sister and what this would mean for their tormenting relationship, you witness the man who simply loves to love Uncle Fester (Chris Roberts) and the man of few words Lurch (Gary Williams) the loyal family butler who entertains alongside Grandma (Matthew Swan) who is crazy and potentially not even family!
Each character of the Addams Family is iconic, and we have come to expect familiarities to the role from previous interpretations through theatre and movies, it is no easy task to take on these legendary personalities. The romantic and eccentric role of the macabre Hispanic father and husband Gomez was portrayed by Jim McMillan, who did a sterling job of maintaining the high energy and characteristics needed to deliver this part.
Matched as his wife Morticia was the truly wonderful and talented Jo Lee, to portray the qualities of the family matriarch who is elegant, poised, well-mannered, seductive but an overprotective parent is demanding as it requires a balance of just enough sultry to graciousness. Jo Lee was glorious in her delivery, with impeccable vocals, her acting and dancing all mesmerising, and her stance and movement identical to what is expected from this title role!
Sophie Butterworth and Harry Thompson partnered as the love-struck teenagers Wednesday and Lucas who both delivered a first-class performance. They conveyed a believable chemistry on stage and illustrated everything that is envisaged of the coupling. Butterworth’s rendition of ‘Pulled’ was sublime which left me spellbound by her aptitude, and their duet of ‘One Normal Night’ and ‘Crazier Than You’ was flawless and pitch perfect – colossal applause to them both.
Uncle Fester played by Chris Roberts displayed all the quirkiness required of the character and he exhibited the gentle and caring side, that we all love. Lilly Jaundril depicted the perfect Pugsley with her exemplary interpretation of the vengeful brother who is determined not to lose his sister to another male, great vocals during ‘what if’ from this young lady.
Mr & Mrs Beineke played by John Kennedy and Vicky Dilworth did a sterling job in their interpretation of the strait-laced parents. Singularly noteworthy was Dilworth’s recital of ‘Waiting’ as this is a challenging song that can either fall flat or be monumental and this was most definitely the latter as she blew me away with her phenomenal capability to deliver this demanding vocal range with great ease.
The show is packed with catchy songs, spectacular choreography, phenomenal staging, amazing costumes and fabulous use of a projector to create the eeriness required, so you’d be foolish to miss out on such a ghoulish and spine tingling spooky spectacular.
Huge credit to the Production Team for creating a stunning show, well done to all involved including the incredible Ancestors who provided the most exquisite display of dance and movement with remarkable harmonies.
Reviewer: Katie Leicester
Reviewed: 25th October 2023
North West End UK Rating: