Review: THE ADDAMS FAMILY at Regal Theatre

The Addams Family has an enduring legacy, originating as a single frame cartoons to now having spawned several TV series and movies. The musical, first performed in 2010, follows in a similar vein, and Zealous Productions brought together a most impressive team of performers and creatives to ensure that THE ADDAMS FAMILY: A NEW MUSICAL COMEDY hit every possible mark with their incredibly entertaining production.

John Johnstone's set design is what immediately strikes the audience. A gothic style door (which doubles later as a torture rack) dominates the stage with the curtain down, and the curtain raises to reveal a variety of whacky furniture suspended by chains which are lowered as each piece is required, and a deadwood tree. Not only is the setting and design impressive, but the focus is shifted cleverly to allow quick transitions between different settings with minimal actual changes. Whilst most of the scenes are dark by nature, the lighting is used excellently to highlight different characters and parts of the set. In fact, the line to exit after the show moved slower than normal as many people stopped to thank and congratulate those in the sound and lighting booth.

The costumes have a deceptively simple brief, yet Victoria Wyatt's outstanding designs were full of details and touches that highlighted each character well. Manuao TeAotonga (also part of the ensemble) really came into his own with the outstanding makeup design that gave each member of the family the features for which they're known, with some truly incredible transformations. Choreographer Allen Blachford utilized the talented cast with some excellent dance numbers, but also does well to ensure that the less mobile characters did not stand out in each piece even as the rest of the cast moved fluidly around them.

The casting is excellent, each member calling back to the Addams family many of us already know whilst also adding a touch of personal flair. Much of the humour is driven by how perfectly normal the family think their nuances are, and each cast member ensures that no potion, monster, or dead ancestor looks out of place. Brendan Hanson is simply outstanding as the patriarch Gomez, charming the audience with his exuberance, perfect timing, and effortless humour. Producer Dixie Johnstone is a perfect Morticia, ensuring that her deadpan character still deliveres the emotion and bite that are central to the plot. In her professional debut, Georgia Unsworth as Wednesday was absolutely outstanding, seamlessly moving between apprehension and blindly-in-love confidence. On top of that, Unsworth's singing was simply excellent and I expect to see her in many more leading roles in future. In many ways, wonderfully made-up Joshua Firman as Uncle Fester drives the show. Indeed, the show was conceived around the idea that Fester himself is putting on a Broadway musical, and as such Firman is de facto MC as well as having his own somewhat separate narrative. His bright persona contrast his pale skin and dark clothes exquisitely. Ethan Jones as Lucas Beineki develops well as the show goes on, with his and Wednesday's separate desires for a "normal family night" adding humour whilst also making us question what a normal family is. Rachel Monamy is a hilarious Alice Beiniki, transforming from worn-down housewife to confident woman ready to bring the passion back to her marriage via a riotous potion fueled dance and confession. Chris McCafferty as Mal Beineki works brilliantly alongside Alice, his old-fashioned no-nonsense husband style giving way to a funny but believable man who harks for his younger days. Matthew Arnold is anything but two-dimensional as Lurch, with perfect comic timing and an outlandish character that is never out of place. Elethea Sartorelli transforms wonderfully into Grandma Addams, and Elliot Peacock's torture-craving Pugsley is delightful.

The ensemble of dead Addams ancestors is small but absolutely brimming with talent, most of whom have considerable experience in leading roles. The eight brilliant ensemble performers (Peter Cumins, Brandyn Kaczmarczyk, Manuao TeAotonga, Nat Cove, Mia Simonette, Georgia McGivern, Tate Bennett, and Xarna Chanel Rappold) have a great deal of stage time, and their singing and dancing is most excellent. The Tango De Amor (along with Gomez and Morticia) is a highlight, but the show is full of different dancing styles and moods that the ensemble perform excellently.

Musically, one may imagine that THE ADDAMS FAMILY is organ heavy but this is far from the case. The music is dark and brooding when needed but there are many moments of happiness, love, and hope that the music matches well. Dixie Johnstone in her producer's notes implores the audience to look at the monitors to see music director Joshua Haines' enthusiasm and joy, and indeed he conducts the orchestra with an energy that almost makes it a shame to have out of sight (rather than utilizing the orchestra pit, the orchestra sit at the back of the stage to allow extra wheelchairs for the relaxed show on Sunday).

THE ADDAMS FAMILY plays on many well-known parts of the classic franchise and judging by how many people immediately took to clicking/snapping/stomping along with the familiar theme tune, much of the audience have come across the Addams family in one of the many iterations it has enjoyed prior to the musical. However it is far from necessary that the audience has prior knowledge of the Addams Family: none of the humour directly leans onto any of the classic tropes, and each character is introduced in a way that showcases their individual mannerisms, and the tone of macabre absurdity is set very early on. The plot is driven by Wednesday's love and pending marriage announcement, however the distinct reactions from each family member spawn slightly separate narratives each with a separate but related conflict. It is not clear who out of Gomez, Morticia, Wednesday, Pugsley, or Fester is the narrative we are meant to support, however the resolution that Pugsley unwittingly brings about satisfies everyone. Not only that, but this is a genuine comedy musical that draws loud and frequent laughs, not only with the standard Addams family dark humour, but also with political contemporary jokes and well executed satire.

Zealous Production's debut show is an excellent showing of a musical that is still relatively young. Zealous have engaged an extremely talented team here, and zealous is a perfcect description of how they each approached this show, with each facet of THE ADDAMS FAMILY coming off perfectly. The set is wonderful, the acting and singing are brilliant, and the show is all round entertaining, the audience positively buzzing with enthusiasm well after the show ends. THE ADDAMS FAMILY is wonderfully creepy and kooky, hilariously mysterious and spooky, and all together ooky and unmissable.

THE ADDAMS FAMILY: A NEW COMEDY MUSICAL is at the Regal Theatre until July 18th, including a relaxed performance on Sunday morning. Tickets through Ticketek.

Photos thanks to Stephen Heath.

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