Sound Ideas - The Addams Family
Norwich should be very proud of Sound Ideas Theatre Company, and everybody involved in this kooky, spooky, production.
Norwich Theatre
The Addams Family are back!
The musical version, with music and songs written by Andrew Lippa, places the dysfunctional family in a grand old house, from where the entire family, 'living, dead, and undecided', meet for an annual gathering around the local graveyard. The show first opened on Broadway in 2010, and last played in Norwich four years ago at the Theatre Royal, when Srtictly Come Dancing's Joanne Clifton teamed up with Cameron Blakely to play Morticia and Gomez.
Now it is the turn of Sound Ideas, Norwich's very own local theatre company, to bring one of Broadway's funniest musical comedies back to life at Norwich Theatre Playhouse, with a four-night run which also includes matinee performances on Saturday and Sunday.
The plot revolves around rebellious daughter Wednesday (played by Emmie Wright) who has met Lucas (Eddie Bays), a nice young boy from Ohio, and wants to marry him. A dinner is arranged, to be hosted by Morticia (Nina Taylor) and Gomez (Lucas Fox), and to which Lucas' parents, Alice (Rebecca Wells) and Mal (Will Mugford) are also invited.
Together with Leo Oakley as the ukelele-playing, moon-loving Fester; James Bell as towering faithful manservant Lurch; Rowena Croston-Clegg as potion-peddling Grandma; and Meg Bays as Wednesday's younger brother Pugsley, the main cast are joined by a ghostly white ensemble that really bring the party to life during the big dance numbers.
As ever, the Sound Ideas cast knock the ball right out of the park (this time, the park being New York City's Central Park), and under Dan Smith's direction, score another home run with this hilarious version of the classic ghoulish hit, embracing the weird, the wonderful, and the totally wacky. The result is a dinner party that you will never forget, and a menu of songs that you will be humming all the way back home. Highlights for me included the round-the table confessions of 'Full Disclosure', Wednesday using her crossbow to shoot an apple off Lucas' head in 'Crazier Than You', Gomez and Morticia's passionate 'Tango de Amor', and Fester's lovelorn 'The Moon and Me'.
This is truly an ensemble production, and the entire cast totally excelled themselves. Norwich should be very proud of Sound Ideas Theatre Company, and everybody involved in this kooky, spooky, production.
Sound Ideas' production of The Addams Family is at Norwich Theatre Playhouse until Sunday October 4th.
