Curve Theatre, Leicester – until 10 August 2025
Reviewed by Charlotte Emily Beaver
4****
There cannot be a person, un-dead or alive, who doesn’t know the iconic “click click” of The Addams Family – their unique brand of morbid and gloomy joy enjoyed by audiences for nearly 80 years. So it’s no surprise that the iconic cult classic goth family find themselves the subject of a musical. The show begins with ‘Thing’ leading us in a click-along to the first few phrases of the indelible theme tune. This is the same family you know and love, but with some modern issues!
Set in the impressive fading façade of Diego Pitarch’s gothic and ghoulish Addams Family mansion scenery, the whole show revolves around the discovery that Wednesday has fallen in love with a ‘normal’ boy – Lucas Beineke. Despite their families never having met, the young couple intend to get married. Wednesday confides in her father Gomez, calling upon him to ensure the planned introductory dinner is successful, while swearing him to secrecy – which causes a whole new set of problems for him with wife Morticia. The Beineke Family are invited to dine at the family home, with Wednesday asking for just ‘One Normal Night’ so that the engagement can be confirmed – which is of course impossible for a family who are anything but normal. Especially when your ancestors have risen from the graveyard, your Brother is scared of losing his torturous playmate, your Uncle is the kookiest of the lot, and the In-Laws haven’t quite got it all figured out either. The side-quests and sub-plots of the supporting characters hold our interest, despite the slightly weak and unlikely catalyst of the initial engagement.
The Addams Family is truly a comedy musical, with lots of laugh-out-loud moments to enjoy, especially some of the double-entendres. Ricardo Afonso as Gomez is deliciously charming and reassuringly authentic, enthralling us with spotless vocals, powerful stage presence, and a wonderful insight into the impossible job of being a good father with ‘Happy Sad.’ Vocal prowess is in spades with this whole company, with a special mention for the sumptuous bass tones of Dickon Gough’s Lurch – well worth waiting for, and we do have to wait for him repeatedly!
Alexandra Burke (Morticia) continues to be a dependable leading lady, the quality and commitment reinforcing her richly-deserved status as a musical theatre favourite. Giving exquisite finger-positioning and hair tosses, she somehow manages to be true to the essence of Morticia, while making it genuinely her own. Lauren Jones (Wednesday) is an “Adorable Atilla” with a very big and contemporary voice, with a believable sibling connection with Nicholas McLean (Pugsley) – he doesn’t feature much in this plot, but McLean makes the most of every second on stage.
Lesley Joseph clearly has the comedy chops for the role of Grandma, though her accent wanders slightly between British and American – perhaps that is a choice to keep us guessing as to whether she actually belongs at the family home!
However, there is no doubt at all that Clive Rowe (Uncle Fester) belongs on the stage. Endlessly endearing, a delightful and timely respite comes in ‘The Moon And Me’ – a gentle ballet and surreal wandering through Fester’s mind. Beautifully sung and delicately performed, I hope we can all find such peace to be ourselves, and be accepted for it.
In contrast, an absolutely knockout performance comes from Kara Lane as Alice Beineke during ‘Full Disclosure’ as guests are invited to participate in The Game – a goblet of truth is circulated, with some surprising secrets uncovered. Lane delivers some mind-blowing belting vocals as her dark side is revealed during her lament. Haven’t we all wanted to stand on a table in the middle of a dinner party and get it all off our chests?! Deeply satisfying, her character’s journey is one of the highlights of the show. In fact, none of the female characters are one-dimensional despite there being so many gags in the book from Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. A cohesive but varied score with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, Live Before We Die/Tango De Amor stands out as a rich blood-red ruby.
The Addams Family is exactly what it says on the tin. The iconic characters you know, in the diverse setting a musical can provide. While the storyline isn’t challenging, the themes of the show – authenticity, acceptance, honesty, and knowing where you belong – are the kind of Addams Family Values we all need in our lives right now. Heart-warming, entertaining, and fortifying, this show is a guaranteed good night out for all the family.