The Addams Family

The Addams Family
Norfolk Youth Music Theatre, Maddermarket, Norwich

Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 7 November 2014

You don’t have to remember the TV or film series about the ‘creepy and kooky’ family from the dark side created by cartoonist Charles Addams about his nearest and dearest to enjoy this comical musical, a fun journey into the macabre.

Daughter Wednesday (Megan Artherton) falls in love with ‘normal’ Lucas (Felix Revel) who  arrives with his respectable parents (Tom Coath and Nicola Myers) at Addams’ bizarre mansion. Father Gomez (Aidan Parsons) and his wife Morticia (the outstanding Molly Cutter) fall out over it.

Delightfully created family members appear with madnesses and neuroses – Uncle Fester (Archie Brown) is in love with the moon; crazy Grandma (Lauren Bryant) wheels a drug trolley like a demented nurse.

Austin Tanner is Wednesday’s strange little brother and Joseph Reed is a totally bizarre and hilarious Lurch, the zombie butler. The delightful chorus of ever-present dead ancestors are perfectly performed.

Clever songs and often discordant music interludes are provided by a superb band conducted by Mark Sharp. The whole works together seamlessly to present a funny yet thought-provoking evening displaying some extremely high quality young local talent.