In my very dysfunctional mind, there is nothing better than a musical to celebrate the diverse, dark world of the different. 'The Addams Family', based on the original 1938 cartoon by Charles Addams, opened on Tuesday 23rd May, at the Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury, as part of its UK tour. I was lucky enough to bag tickets to opening night and it did not disappoint. The madness and energy delivered by every actor at every moment contributed to the quirky world of Wednesday, as she falls in love. Let me give you my 'Full Disclosure' on the whole event...
Set
A beautifully intricate and well-thought out set, which immediately created an immersive, spooky atmosphere. The gate at front/centre stage bore a large golden 'A' (as pictured below) and it was interesting to see how this was later used in the production, after being risen with the curtain at the opening. Re-purposed staircases were moved around by cast members to create different rooms in the house and set changes were done efficiently and cleverly, while the audience were distracted with the other action onstage.
A highlight piece of set was the letterbox and hand at the side of the stage, which any Addams fan will recognise from the iconic cartoon.
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| The stage before curtain up |
Music
The music, as expected, was brilliant. Andrew Lippa is my all-time favourite composer, having written other classic musicals like 'The Wild Party' and 'You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown'. His his clever use of melodic writing and cadences meant the music had just enough mystery to keep me on my toes (although I did know most of the songs before going!) but was memorable enough that audiences were engaged and interacting with the songs... *click click*
Favourite songs include 'When You're An Addams' (Full Cast), 'Pulled' (Wednesday Addams - Carrie Hope Fletcher) and 'Full Disclosure' (Full Cast). I also really enjoyed the duet between Wednesday and Lucas Beineke (Oliver Ormson), 'Crazier Than You', which was a dark twist on a classic case of teenage love.
'When You're An Addams', performed by the 2017 UK Tour Cast at the London Palladium
Costume
It's no mean feat to make someone look practically dead onstage.
Jocelyn Corderoy's costumes were exquisite and I definitely want my own version of Wednesday's dress, which was more of a dark bluey-green colour than a black.
The ensemble had some of the best costumes that I've seen for a long time - they were so detailed and intricate. Goodness knows the strength of a good petticoat!
Acting
To me the stand out actress was Samantha Womack, playing Mortica Addams. Her tone of voice captured the essence of Mortica so well, there was no question of her character from the moment she stepped onto the stage. Her domineering physicality was impressive, combining sensuality with power and dark humour. Pure perfection.
Cameron Blakely was hilarious as Gomez Addams, not only just because of some superb line delivery, but in his wild eyes. He represented the average dad, a madman and a comedian all at once, being a friend to the audience and providing such relatable moments for us all to share in (cite: 'Two Things' - Gomez).
I also enjoyed Carrie Hope Fletcher's portrayal of Wednesday Addams as young and flirtacious, playful almost. Especially when around the character of Lucas Beineke (Oliver Ormson), Fletcher's Wednesday was toying with Lucas, willing him to be dangerous and spontaneous with her and I thought she truly brought out the essence of her character.
To conclude...
'The Addams Family' is one of my favourite musical soundtracks and as my first time seeing the production, I was thoroughly impressed by how it was put on. Through the dark humour and comical songs, it still managed to represent a "normal" family, with all its dysfunctional problems. I encourage you to go see it, it's touring well into the rest of the year and I'll leave all the details to book your tickets below.
Now I can happily say that I've played "fuuuuuuullllll disclosure!"
Book your tickets for 'The Addams Family' righty HERE! And remember...
