I sat in the audience at Brierley Hill Civic Hall last night with trepidation and excitement in equal measure.

The original UK tour of The Addams Family blew my mind and, whilst I had every confidence that this production would be good, you can never be sure if it'll live up to what came before.

I first saw the show in 2017 and quickly fell in love. The story was perfect, the music exquisite and it was cast so perfectly I wouldn't have flinched if you said the parts had been written for the principals. It quickly became a cult phenomenon amongst fans and you'd have forgiven producers from stopping whilst they were on top - but I'm SO glad they didn't and also glad local theatre companies have the chance to bring this piece of theatre to a wider audience.

The Addams Family is a musical comedy comes from the writers of multi award-winning hit musical 'Jersey Boys', with music and lyrics by Tony-nominated, Andrew Lippa. 

Inspired by the original cartoons, the story is a continuation of the tales we know and love. Wednesday is all grown up and has a secret that only her father, Gomez knows. She's fallen in love with Lucas - a sweet young man from a respectable family.

With his wife, Morticia in the dark will Gomez manage to keep his daughter’s secret until the two families meet for a fateful dinner with hilarious consequences?

Part of the beauty of the professional production was its aesthetic. The set and lighting were sublime and I was conscious that the budget, understandably, may not have been as high this evening. However, in the vein of not judging books by their covers, all the stops had been pulled out by the society.

With a professional set, perfectly proportioned lights and a near-perfect replication of costumes, the production screamed ‘quality’ from the first two clicks.

Lippa's music and lyrics form some of the most infectious and catchy songs - from an audibly beautiful score - that I've heard in years. However the cast is absolutely the grease on the cogs of the production.

Sarah Coussens shines as a perfectly dead-pan Morticia. For many, Anjelica Houston's Golden Globe nominated portrayal of the matriarch epitomises the character. However Coussens’ interpretation is a nod to what was, but stopped short of becoming a tribute, which was welcomed.

Tom Robinson plays Gomez, with a sustained accent (always a risk!) and a mix of on-point vocals and laugh-out-loud timing which meant the rapturous applause at the end was greatly deserved.

What was pleasing to see was Robyn Harding grabbing the role of Pugsley and making something of him. So often you can forget Wednesday’s brother exists as, by virtue of the story, he isn’t front and centre in comparison to his sister. However Harding really made him matter in this production - with probably the best rendition of ‘What If’ I think I’ve heard since Adam Riegler in the original Broadway cast.

We also need to take a moment to talk about Bella Cook who, whilst she might not take the final bow, is the lynchpin in this shows story. With barely a minute to breathe and some of the biggest songs of the night, Wednesday Addams had a huge weight on her shoulders.

Whilst I don't want to keep trading off between old and new, there were the obvious pre-show comparisons between Cook and Carrie Hope Fletcher who originated the role in the UK to almost flat out praise. Whilst the two productions are very different, Addam’s has a young fan base with expectations because of casts who came before.

Let me make it abundantly clear right now. Full disclosure. Cook is exceptional, with the sass, the stage presence and the lungs to pull off this part.

Her vocals on ‘Pulled’ and, in particular, ‘One Normal Night’ were outstanding and left a huge number of the audience grinning from ear to ear. Expect to see her leaving the Black Country and taking the West End by storm very soon.

This show is FULL of those moments, alongside some sharp comedy and brilliant dancing. It's a funny, touching, powerful - and pretty gory in some respects - continuation of the Addams tales we know and love and I STILL think it deserves a West End run!

This show is turning into the fine wine of the British theatre circuit - it’s getting better with age and that's largely down to casts and creative teams who are simply fantastic.

The Addams Family runs at Brierley Hill Civic Hall until Saturday 10th June. For more information, or to get your tickets, visit seaty.co.uk/addamsfam.