Review: The Addams Family - Sound Ideas
Review by Ray Tempesta
The Addams Family and Addams Family Values are two movies that I absolutely adored growing up (and still do), appealing to my fondness for both the macabre and the whimsical. Even 30-odd years later, I still find myself frequently quoting lines from these brilliantly oddball pieces of cinema.
So, the musical version, which has been haunting UK stages for almost a decade now, has a lot to live up to for me. While the Sound Ideas cast definitely looked the part as the creepy and kooky favourites, could they hit the lofty, nostalgia-driven expectations that I'd placed on this production? The answer is yes...mostly.
The plot of this musical version is that Wednesday (Emmie Wright) has fallen in love with an ordinary boy, Lucas (Eddie Bays), and has invited his parents to dinner at the Addams mansion where they intend to announce they are getting married. Wednesday confides in her father Gomez (Lucas Fox), who is then torn between keeping a secret for his daughter, and keeping one from his wife. Along the way, Fester (Leo Oakley) conspires with the Ancestors (the company's considerable ensemble) to keep Wednesday's love story on track.
The company absolutely nailed their characters, from Nina Taylor's smouldering, sultry Morticia and Lucas Fox's devilishly debonair Gomez, to Rowena Croston-Clegg's brilliantly batsh*t Grandma and Leo Oakley's charmingly affable Fester. And although a character unique to the musical, Rebecca Wells stormed it as Lucas' mother, Alice, in a hilarious performance.
They also gave the songs everything vocally, with an all-round impressive performance from the company. Emmie Wright sounded superb in 'One Normal Night', and Rebecca Wells stole the first half with her wonderfully crafted 'Waiting'. Lucas Fox and Nina Taylor had the highlight of the second half with their rousing rendition of 'Tango de Amor'.
But while the performances were absolutely perfect, even some of the Norwich community theatre scene's finest talent couldn't cover a rather insipid story and at times a disappointingly ordinary score. It was at its finest when leaning into the gothic and latino elements that make the Addams family so iconic, so some of the songs taking on a very contemporary teen musical vibe felt quite jarring to me.
Narratively, there were some holes that needed filling too. What exactly was it about Lucas that captured Wednesday's heart? It was no slight on the performance of Eddie Bays, but I saw nothing in this pretty ordinary guy that would have turned her head. And why did Wednesday confide in Gomez about their engagement, and not Morticia? With no exposition or relationship development prior to that moment, it just felt like a convenient plot device to cause a rift in the family.
This is small fry though in what is otherwise a really enjoyable, fun show. Outside of the performers, the Sound Ideas production team were able to show their eye for a great costume, and credit must go to the lighting designer (I didn't have the benefit of a programme to be able to name them) for a brilliant show, with the highlight coming in the star-lit ballad from Fester.
The Addams Family musical continues at Norwich Theatre Playhouse until 4 Oct.
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