The Addams Family | The Lowry

It is not Halloween quite yet, but The Addams Family  (now playing at The Lowry) provides all the tricks and treats a family could ask for. This musical comedy, written by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice and with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, tells the story of Wednesday Addams’ engagement to a ‘normal’ boy, Lucas. He and his parents travel to the Addams’ manor for dinner, where the pair plan to tell their respective families of their romance. As the evening progresses, this plan takes a turn for the worse… but in the tricky Addams family way, does ‘worse’ actually make everything better? 

This musical is almost pantomime-like in its over-the-top feel. Fester, played by Clive Rowe, acts as the narrator and comedic centre of the show. Rowe delivers a knowing commentary, talking to the audience and cracking jokes. There is also a playful lightness to the songs (even as they ‘move into the darkness’) and some long-running gags, gearing the show up to be ideal for an evening of family entertainment. But there is also everything that we have come to expect from the Addams family: elaborate, haunted sets, old, dilapidated torture equipment, gothic costumes, and so on. 

And, to sell the (un)happy family dynamic at the heart of the show, we were treated to some great performances by the cast. Gomez, played by Ricardo Afonso, is the one around whom the central conflict revolves: what to do when faced with the choice to deny your daughter, or lie to your wife. Afonso is suave, charming, charismatic, and most importantly, very good at acting loved up. Because if we know one thing about Gomez Addams, it’s that he loves his wife. And his wife, though severe, is quite lovable; Alexandra Burke as Morticia Addams is perfectly elegant and smooth. When she sings, though, it becomes harder to see the character of Morticia through the stardom of Burke herself. 

The relationship between the matriarch and patriarch of the family is by far the most romantic in the show. However, in this version, it slipped a little away from the healthy side. Ordinarily, their romance is bound to withstand the most arduous of difficulties - eviction, family betrayal, financial ruin, and so on (torture or physical pain not included) – and conflict is only found in the threats to the family’s closeness. In this story, their relationship suffered more from a tiff over Wednesday’s romance than it should have done. But my biggest complaint, on the subject of romance, was the easy arc given to Lucas’ parents, the obnoxious husband, Mal, and suffering wife, Alice. Some people do not deserve a happy ending, but to the ones who do: in some cases, that happy ending could be a divorce.

The show rocks along smoothly, with an engaging family to be adopted into, a fun score by Lippa to enjoy, and a good few jokes to laugh at. The plot itself, however, had a few wrinkles. There were a few plot points that ultimately did not make a difference to the unfolding events: the opening spiel by Fester, telling us that the Addams’ dead ancestors would not be let back into the family crypt (the cast members playing these ancestors were very talented, and their costumes were wonderful; perhaps their presence could just have been explained slightly better), and Pugsley’s decision to wreak some havoc during the dinner scene. Pugsley’s messing does make a difference to one couple’s story, but we are told it dramatically changed several of the other characters’ storylines too, which is not true— whether Pugsley had done anything or not, the same conflict and resolution would still exist between Wednesday, Gomez, and Morticia.

Everyone loves The Addams Family, and this was especially plain to see while sitting in the audience for this iteration; scanning the rows of eager fans, you could find the odd figure in Wednesday’s black dress with two plaits, or someone else with deep eye sockets painted with eyeshadow. But not only that: when the classic theme sounded, everyone displayed some very good finger-clicking in time with the music. The Addams family will, no doubt, be around for a while longer before the characters discover the sweet death they so long for, and they will certainly be well-loved while still on this earthly plane.

The Addams Family is playing at The Lowry until Saturday 16^th August.

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★★★☆☆ (3*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Pamela Raith