The Kings Theatre, Southsea – until 26th October 2024
Reviewed by Sally Lumley
4****
The Addams Family musical follows the spooky characters we all know and love from the classic tv shows and movies. Wednesday (Megan Parkes) has fallen in love with “normal” boy Lucas (Finlay Hughes), and they want to get married. She confides her secret to her father Gomez (Luke Henley) who is plunged into an impossible predicament – does he keep a secret from his wife Morticia (Laura Bowler), or betray his daughter’s trust? When Lucas brings his straight-laced parents for dinner at the mansion, a night of hilarious, macabre chaos unfolds.
Benchmark Musical Theatre have breathed new life into these well-known characters, and it is clear that this enthusiastic, talented cast have had a lot of fun bringing them to the stage. Martin Bristow perfectly encapsulated chaotic Uncle Fester; the madcap uncle with a huge heart had the audience laughing every time he was on stage. While the story line about his love for the moon was a little bizarre (even for the Addams Family), his Wicked moment was delightful. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I did think that it was a shame in the final scene when he was replaced with a cardboard cutout. For balance though, I should say that my son thought this was the best moment of the show! Other standout performances were delivered by Megan Parkes as Wednesday, and Emma Hall as Lucas’s mother Alice, whose vocals really shone.
Benchmark are an amateur company but this production, from the set to the performances, did not feel amateur at all. While I didn’t find any of the songs particularly memorable, Benchmark have created some wonderful set pieces which will stay with us. The Full Disclosure sequence was perfectly executed and had the audience in stitches, while the Tango De Amor had all the passion we know to expect from Gomez and Morticia.
From the moment the familiar Addams Family theme music began at the start, with the whole theatre was singing and clapping along, I knew we were in for a spooktacular treat. This is lighthearted, funny and perfect timing for the start of half term. With Halloween next week, a trip to see The Addams Family is the perfect way to start spooky season.