The Addams Family: A New Musical at the Theatre Royal Bath
★★★★★
This theatrical adaptation of Charles Addams’ kooky cast of characters is a joy to watch. Filled with catchy contemporary musical melodies, it has remained a rather niche production having only been brought back to life in tour and concert formats after its original Broadway run in 2010.
This was my first time catching a production by the Bath Light Operatic Group and in short I was blown away. In the programme for the production it listed every annual production from this team since 1948! With a wide range of classics and family fun already under their belt, it’s no wonder The Addams Family went down a treat.
*POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD*
Content Warnings:
There were not any content warnings on display, however these were warnings that I felt should be mentioned:
Haze
Lightning
Sword Fighting
Drugging
Adult Humour References
Spiders
Mentions of Death
Implied Reanimated Corpses/Ghosts
Audience Interaction
My Review:
The plot of the show follows The Addams Family as they navigate Wednesday’s new boyfriend and his happy-go-lucky run of the mill American family and lifestyle.
As I have always adored this musical and its original broadway cast recording, I went in almost completely blind with what to expect from its set design and I was truly blown away. The tone for the show was completely set when entering the house, you are greeted with interactable beloved ancestors. Fun and light-hearted, this solidified the mood for the evening.
Speaking of the beloved ancestors; the costumes. The level of detail that went into those beautiful costumes was astounding, adding a mysticality to the visions of monochrome dancers when they took the spotlight. From pirates to cavemen to suffragettes; every one was a beautiful member of the family.
Along the same vein, the set was gorgeous. Everything from the Grand gothic hallways of the Addams House to the forest so expertly moved by the ancestors themselves. It was a level of detail that made the show feel so alive.
In my praise of this cast, I will be starting with Hannah Graham as Morticia. With the amount of confidence and grace that eluded her on stage, I wouldn’t have guessed this to be her first production with this group. Her wonderful performance was heavily complimented by Geoff White as the charismatic and charming Gomez and Sophie Baxter as the headstrong Wednesday. Hannah Wood, Rob Dallimore and Alexandra Pugh gave shining performances for their hilarious roles of Pugsley, Uncle Fester and Grandmama. Sophie Harris amazed with her rendition of Waiting as Alice Beinke while Ed Corbishley gave a standout performance as her son Lucas.
Overall this show was spectacular, a fantastic evening for all the family!
Thank you for taking the time to read and I hope this review has proved interesting and helpful for you :)
- AnxiousTheatregoer