The Addams Family Musical
Retford Musical Theatre Company
Majestic Theatre, Retford
27 - 29 April 2023
The Majestic Theatre with its flamboyant decor seems the perfect venue to stage The Addams Family Musical by Andrew Lippa and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. This musical is based upon The Addams Family characters created by Charles Addams, an American cartoonist, which show a decidely offbeat family with an affinity for all things dark. There have been many film and television adaptations of Addams' cartoons, the musical is the first stage show based on the characters. It is a lavish show, directed skillfully by Liz Teanby-Williams and wonderfully choreographed by Adele Beaumont. They take a small(-ish) scale musical and make it quite grandiose with the addition of a large ensemble of "Ancestors" from various (random) periods of history. I have loved The Addams Family since it first aired on television in the 1960s, setting the tone for mock horror-comedies to come. I knew I was going to enjoy this.
It is not the first time I have seen this musical and it will not be the last, but Retford Musical Theatre Company's production is one which I thoroughly enjoyed. It is deliciously dark and yet laced with humour and some lush, sweeping musical numbers that Musical Director Brady Mould and his band ensure would not sound out of place on a Hollywood soundstage in the heyday of film musicals. I love the main theme of When You're An Addams, and as the curtain rises to a graveyard full of smoke and dark lighting the audience is greeted by the all-familiar faces of each charcter and if you are familiar with these shows, there is no need for introductions.
RMTC absolutely nail the look of every character in this show. Full credit must go to everyone behind the scenes who designed and created the look of the show. The make-up is superb; so much so, that I suspect other society members cannot recognise their colleagues when seeing them for the first time. The costumes are exceptional, creating the perfect look as expected for everyone on stage. The set is magnificent and will impress anyone who comes to see the show.
We meet patriarch Gomez Addams (Jamie Savage), the sword-wielding Latin lover who cares about family so deeply and is passionately in love with his wife, Morticia Addams (Emma Wighton). Morticia is definitely the power behind the throne - a sexy, imposing presence throughout. Wighton looks beguiling in role, with a stunning silhouette that we all expect from any Morticia. Having reviewed her in many different roles on this site, I knew that she would deliver both physically and vocally in her performance and she does not disappoint. Both parental Addams possess the ability to command an audience on stage and do so like seasoned professionals. With solo songs and ambitious dance routines, Savage and Wighton bring the characters to life with precision and amazing attention to detail, right down to Morticia's nails! Savage's performance in Full Disclosure is hugely entertaining performed with wild rolling eyes and looking deeply insecure. I adored Wighton's darkly comic Just Around the Corner which really sounds like a song from a 1950s musical.
I saw Emma Parker playing the role of Wednesday Addams, a role she shares with actress Hannah Harris. This is not little Wednesday from the TV or even Jenna Ortega's twisted teen. This is a Wednesday who is learning to cope with real feelings for a boy who comes from a wholly different background and this romance provides the engine that drives this musical. It is a hugely demanding lead role and Parker belted out Wednesday's songs with phenomenal style and ability. The song Pulled is memorably performed with real vocal power and dynamism.
My favourite characters in the show however, have always been Lurch and Uncle Fester. I was astonished at the accuracy of the looks for both characters in this production. As Fester Addams, Ian Stewart takes on the role of narrator after a fashion, and succeeds in winning the audience over with his zany portrayal of the lunar-loving, lightbulb-lighting, bald bundle of fun, whose song The Moon and Me is sweet and touching beyond belief - even if the premise behind it makes no sense whatsoever!
As Lurch, Mike Pinkerton is seriously imposing. He stands head and shoulders above the rest of the cast, lumbering and grunting - giving the perfect performance of the half-dead butler. He injects pathos and humour into the role, saying so much with his eyes and his anguished cries. He demonstrates tremendous stillness, and it is in those moments that his eyes tell you all you need to know. I have seen the role thrown away previously in the musical, but feel it was wonderfully performed here.
The youngest Addams is Pugsley, a mischievous, malignant menace, who determines to undermine his sister's blossoming relationship. Young performer Charlie Daley deserves so much credit for being able to hold his own amongst a seriously talented cast , all considerably older and will no doubt gain rapturous applause each time he performs. He is a young man to watch without a doubt.
The last senior member of the family is the wild-haired and somewhat deranged Grandma Addams, beautifully judged by Jayne Cox. It is easy to cackle and screech just a little too much but Cox gives us a memorable performance of the Grandma who no-one is quite sure who she is related to!
Normality, for what it is worth, is represented by the Beineke family. Son Lucas is the lovelorn, love-interest besotted with Wednesday ever since she demonstrated her keen eye and deadly crossbow skills in Central Park. Oliver Ward provides excellent contrast to the dark and macabre Addams Family with his clean cut, slightly preppy looks and optimistic outlook on life. No wonder Pugsley neither likes nor trusts him. Dan Prentice plays the straight-laced and slightly uptight businessman who has forgotten what it is to be a free spirit and Jane Shelley gves an absolutely winning performance as his wife, Alice. Able to cast off the shackles of respectability courtesy of the Addams Family, Alice really opens up and lets herself go in a hilarious fashion that I shall let the audience see for themselves - but suffice to say, Jane Shelley won me over with her performance, it was witty and well-timed and deserving of a special mention.
The Ancestors, and there are so many, are played by: Emma Allen, Diana Barratt, Adele Beaumont, Gemma Ambrose, Kim Bowler, Claire Bowler, Keri Duffy, Caitlin Gorwood, Leah Greenwood, Shelley Harvey, Jayne Horner, Megan Huntley, Natasha McKay, Sarah McKay, Sarah Mitchell, Michelle Noble, Emma Parker, Liz Rew, Elaine Rix, Ash Roberts, Sally Roberts, Rachel Severn, Harriet Shaw-Browne, WIllow Shaw-Browne, Danielle Shelley, Charlie Taylor, Sam Taylor, Pauline Wilson, Chris Wilton. They all put their heart and (lost) souls into their performance, and it really adds to the ambience, as they look on from beyond the grave at the goings-on in this show.
The Addams Family Musical runs at the Majestic Theatre in Retford from Thursday 27 - Saturday 29 April 2023.
Andy Evans 27 April 2023
An extensive gallery of photos from this production can be found here
Director Liz Teanby-Williams
Choreographer Adele Beaumont
Musical Director Brady Mould
Rehearsal Musical Director Martin Yates