Birmingham Hippodrome – until 12th July 2025
Reviewed by Emma Millward
5*****
The Addams Family Musical embarks on a mini UK tour, with its first stop being Birmingham Hippodrome. Based on the 1938 comic strip by Charles Addams, it tells the story of a macabre American family. Although there have been numerous film and TV reboots, this show marked the first time it was turned into a musical. The show first opened on Broadway in April 2010, with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. This production is directed by Matthew White.
From the moment the audience was seated, we were waiting to hear the iconic clicks of the classic theme tune. When the moment finally arrived, the infamous disembodied hand ‘Thing’ appeared, and everybody joined in and clicked to the beat. We meet the entire Addams clan in a graveyard for their annual gathering of “The living, dead and undecided”. Gomez (Ricardo Afonso) and Morticia (Alexandra Burke) introduce us to the family with the hilarious ‘When You’re An Addams’, complete with a fun dance section. Uncle Fester (Clive Rowe) tells us that Wednesday (Lauren Jones) has fallen in love with a ‘normal’ boy, Lucas (Jacob Fowler) and he stops the Ancestors from returning to their graves, so they can help him at the dinner party that Wednesday has planned with Jacob’s parents, Mal Beineke (Dale Ripley) and Alice Beineke (Kara Lane). Wednesday soon confesses to Gomez that she intends to marry Lucas, but Gomez becomes caught in a web of lies when Wednesday insists that he doesn’t tell Morticia. Pugsley (Nicholas McLean), the youngest Addams child, is concerned that he will lose his beloved sister and, hoping to break up the couple, steals an Acrimonium serum from Grandma (played with exceptionally dark glee by Lesley Joseph). Unfortunately, he ends up giving the potion to Alice, who declares the truth about her loveless marriage to Mal, in the showstopping song ‘Waiting’, where Kara Lane showcases her amazing vocals as the repressed Alice.
The Addams Family isn’t complete without Lurch (Dickon Gough), the towering, monosyllabic Butler. Gough had the audience in stitches from his first grunt! His exaggerated slow steps and movement around the stage just added to the comedy. Although Gough is a man of few words in the show, he became one of my favourite characters to watch, even when he was just in the background. The whole cast works so well together. The chemistry between Ricardo Afonso and Alexandra Burke is sizzling. Lauren Jones and Jacob Fowler are excellent at portraying the slightly awkward, but touching connection between Wednesday and Lucas. Clive Rowe gives an outstanding performance as Uncle Fester, especially during his heartfelt ballad to his beloved moon.
The haunted mansion set design by Diego Pitarch combined with lighting by Ben Cracknell was deliciously Gothic and atmospheric. The choreography by Alistair David was always tight and precise, especially during Gomez and Morticia’s exquisite tango. The music from the live orchestra produced a beautiful score, with songs I am sure I will have stuck in my head for days to come!
There are a few moments where the jokes are a little risqué, but I think most of these will go over the heads of any children watching the show. During this performance, an audience disruption occurred during the second act, Ricardo Afonso and Lauren Jones, who were onstage at the time, and the Hippodrome team handled the situation professionally and restarted the scene as soon as possible. Overall, this fun-filled, laugh-out-loud production is enjoyable for the whole family this summer.
– The UK tour continues onto Leicester, Salford, Canterbury and Blackpool.