I sat in the audience at The Alexandra, filled 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 the new production would be good, you can never be sure if it'll live up to what came before.
Theatre's had a hard time in the last two years, it's more than well documented and there's certain shows on the touring circuit that are receiving standing ovations night after night. A good chunk of the reason is the quality of British theatre but it's also, in part, because the country has been so deprived of creativity that audiences are applauding the ability to watch anything right now!
The Addams Family absolutely bucks that trend and any applause, screams, cheers an ovations in the auditorium last night are exclusively down to the talent of the cast, creatives and production of a monumentally BRILLIANT production.
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.
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 with a cast who are a mix of those returning from the last tour and new performers joining the family. Wednesday (Kingsley Morton) is all grown up and has a secret that only her father, Gomez (Cameron Blakely) knows. She's fallen in love with Lucas (Ahmed Hamad) a sweet young man from a respectable family. With his wife, Morticia (Joanne Clifton) in the dark will Gomez manage to keep his daughter’s secret until the two families meet for a fateful dinner with hilarious consequences?
The set and lighting is stunning and Diego Pitarch and Ben Cracknell should be congratulated for creating both practical and functional staging which has a gorgeously dark aesthetic to it. Andrew Lippa's music and lyrics are also 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.
Clifton shines as a a perfectly dead-pan Morticia. For many, Anjelica Houston's Golden Globe nominated portrayal of the matriarch epitomises the character. However Clifton's interpretation is a nod to what was, but stopped short of becoming a tribute, which was welcomed.
Blakely's reprisal of the role of Gomez was perfection. Quite frankly, I don't want to see anyone else perform that part as his mix of on-point vocals and laugh-out-loud timing meant the rapturous applause at the end was greatly deserved.
On top of that, Sean Kingsley and Kara Lane are a duo with exceptional chemistry playing Mal and Alice Beineke - roles which can sometimes be underplayed, but were carried off with prowess this evening.
We also need to take a moment to talk about Scott Paige. Taking over the role of Uncle Fester - a part he understudied last time round - and taking it to the next level was a feast for the senses. Let's be quite clear about this - Paige is sensational. He steals the limelight every time he steps foot on stage and at one point had the room laughing until they were crying. To watch performances like that when the audience and cast need it most made for a very special evening.
Then we arrive at Wednesday who - whilst she might not take the final bow - is the lynchpin in this shows success. With barely a minute to breathe and some of the biggest songs of the night, Kingsley Morton had a huge weight on her shoulders. Plus, whilst I don't want to keep trading off between old and new, there were the obvious pre-show comparisons between Morton, who's fresh out of Arts Ed and Carrie Hope Fletcher who originated the role in the UK to almost flat out praise.
Let me make it abundantly clear right now. Full disclosure. Kingsley is exceptional.
It's fair to say that she and Fletcher have different takes on the role of Wednesday but Kingsley is a phenomenal talent with the sass, the stage presence and the lungs to pull off this part.
Whilst we go through a stage of the rebirth of theatre, it's fitting to go through another stage where we bring a new generation of talent to the floor to perform alongside the existing 'cast'. Morton is emblematic of that generation and will undoubtably become a beacon to younger audience members who are becoming theatre fans.
Her interpretation of 'Pulled', and her duet with Hamad - 'Crazier Than You' - left a huge number of the audience around me grinning from ear to ear. 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 touring circuit - it’s getting better with age and that's largely down to a cast and creative team who are simply fantastic.
The Addams Family runs at The Alexandra Theatre until Saturday 22nd January. For more information, or to get your tickets, visit atgtickets.com/birmingham.
