The Addams Family

The Addams Family
19th - 23rd October 2021
Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds
Director: Alec Taylor
Choreographer: Glen Conner
Musical Director: Nicholas Sheehan

Thanks to Sarah Simpson for our digital programme. Follow the link to read it in full: bit.ly/3jEomPn *

Photo Credit: Keith Mindham

Cast

Gomez Addams - Richard Simpson
Morticia Addams - Katie Woodhouse
Wednesday Addams - Anna Sutton
Pugsley Addams - Harry Butcher + Ted Lacey
Uncle Fester - Bethany Kennedy
Grandma - Sarah Simpson
Lurch - Adam Thurkettle
Lucas Beineke - Tom Menarry
Alice Beineke - Anna Damigella
Mal Beineke - Cian Harriss

Ensemble
Alaska Tutthill - (Dance Captain)/ Ballerina Addams
Beth Jennings - (Ensemble Principal)/ Marie Antoinette Addams
Dan Moore - Gomez/Fester/Lucas Understudy / Highwayman Addams
Holly Wright - Wednesday Understudy/ Joan of Arc Addams
Jillian Craig - Alice Understudy / Pirate Queen Addams
Rebecca Bliss - Morticia Understudy / Wartime Nurse Addams
Melodie How - Cavewoman Addams
Sam Cayford - Victorian Maid Addams
Sam Hughan - Jilted Bride Addams
Simon Loughe - Conquistador Adams

NODA Review:
The Addams Family,
Bury St Edmunds Operatic & Dramatic Society (BSEODS)
Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds 19 October 2021

The original Addams family were cartoon characters created by Charles Addams in 1938. The characters soon featured in films and TV programmes but the musical is more recent — the first
performance was off Broadway in March 2010 and ran on Broadway for some 722 performances before closing in December 2011.

The Addams Family is a novelty show that can give a creative team a great chance to go wild with the trappings of a deliriously weird environment and characters — extreme make-up, props and set. A slick rendering staged by BSEODS brought this madcap crop of characters to life — well, in relative terms given their ‘undead’ nature — for two hours of good-humoured entertainment.

The opening number showed we were in for a fun evening as it introduced us to the Addams family alive, dead and uncertain, and was a super opening to the show. The energetic “undead” family ancestors formed the chorus and they gave strong support to the principals throughout. Richard Simpson headed up the family as Gomez, and his performance was excellent, never faltering musically or performance wise. He got much humour from his character. As the elegant Addams matriarch Morticia, Katie Woodhouse looked perfect. Her sombre expression never lapsed as she captured the character’s fragrant mystique. There was a good rapport between her and Simpson, and their musical numbers were well executed. Katie’s superb singing voice was an added bonus. Congratulations on an impressive performance.

Anna Sutton belted out the morbid Wednesday’s numbers with the ferocity and perfect aim you’d expect of a girl who shoots to kill with the bow and arrow she totes around with her. On the opening night Theseus Lacey played Pugsley and gave a well-focused confident performance particularly in Pugsley’s solo ‘What If’.

Bethany Kennedy gave a new dimension to the jovially sinister Fester, injecting a feral, suggestive gleefulness into the role of Gomez’s relative, making this usually benign character more unpredictable — a first-rate performance.

Completing the Addams’ household were the faithful servant Lurch, Adam Thurkettle, who grunted and groaned his way through with gusto; Sarah Simpson suitably nutty as Grandma, plus a bevy of energetic “undead” Addams family ancestors all adding extra weirdness to an already weird ménage.

The Beineke family, the Addams ‘normal’ guests, need to make their own mark on the show. Taking over a role part-way through rehearsals is never easy but after a slightly hesitant start Tom Menarry settled into his character well and gave a very good account of himself as Wednesday’s love interest Lucas Beineke. Lucas’ mother Alice, Anna Damigella brought a big, gorgeous voice to the dinner party, in sharp contrast to Cian Harriss as her meek and boring husband Mal until he got his rock star mojo back! Though I would personally have liked a little more rapport between Alice and Mal their relationship did actually work and the Beineke‘s certainly held their own.

As all BSEODS’ sets this one worked in multiple ways. However I did miss the usual ‘electric chair’ and Gomez’s proud possession the famous medieval chair. I think there could have been a bit more embellishment on these pieces as was done with the family portraits. The lighting design and operation was very good indeed. There were some sound issues in the first half particularly with the solo numbers but this was sorted during the interval and things were at a good level in the second half.

While the show’s costumes were uniformly good, the costumes for the ensemble — or Ancestors, as they’re called in the show — were especially effective, fitted the character, at the right length to easily allow movement, and period-appropriate. The singing and choreography were extremely good and well executed. The make-up well designed and very effective. All this plus swift scene changes, an ensemble focused and in sync, hitting all the notes and a first class orchestra under the baton of musical director Nicholas Sheehan. Alec Taylor’s direction was nice and pacy, with Glen Conner’s choreography suiting both the show’s ebullient mood and the abilities of its performers.

This was a fun evening with The Addams Family with a first-rate troupe and creative team providing really fine entertainment.

Julie Petrucci
Regional Representative NODA East District Four South.

FOOT NOTE:
Following the opening night NODA East Youth Co-Ordinator Caroline Ranson saw the show with Harry Butcher in the role of Pugsley Addams. At my request Caroline has provided the following: Pugsley is portrayed as a grumpy teenager with a mischievous side always up to no good. In this role Harry Butcher showed strong connection on stage with his sister Wednesday. With excellent vocals he pitched his character very well.