* Gomez and Morticia take centre stage flanked by Lurch (left) and Uncle Fester.
* Wonderful Wednesday.
Llangollen Operatic Society’s Young ‘Uns have made a frighteningly good job of The Addams Family, a musical tale of the everyday life of a ghoulish American family.
Thanks to its fabulous costumes and chillingly atmospheric
setting, the whole scary spectacle they will be staging at
Llangollen Town Hall from this Thursday to Saturday takes on a dreamlike – or should
that be nightmare? – quality.
Add to this some superb performances pitched,
in both acting and singing respects, well above their ages the 27-strong
cast from the society’s junior section have created something of a Llangollen masterpiece.
The Addams Family is a musical comedy with music and lyrics by
Andrew Lippa and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice.
The show is based on The Addams Family
characters created by Charles Addams and tells the story of a creepy clan with a taste for all things macabre.
At the head of the family are the
frightening Gomez Addams and his haughty wife Morticia, recreated respectively
by the highly talented Ethan Le Cheminant – sadly making his final Young ‘Uns
appearance before heading off to uni to study maths – and the devilishly divine
Heledd Edwards.
Living alongside them in their musty
dungeon of a mansion are their children, the teenage girl Wednesday and younger
lad Pugsley, both with a wholly unnatural fondness for the darker side.
Katy Clark as Wednesday has a
staggeringly good voice capable of waking the dead whenever she lets it rip and
Dylan Harrison brings a cooky cuteness to the role of Pugsley.
Other occultist occupants of Chez Addams
are Ethan Roberts who, thanks to his ingenious bald wig and capacity for sheer on-stage
vitality, makes for a memorable Uncle Fester, and Gracie Broadbent as the Grandma
of the family. She brings a hard-edged, hard-bitten American style to the part
which at times is shockingly effective.
Helping out around the house is butler Lurch,
a man who if he isn’t actually one of the undead one suspects would help them
out in a crisis. He’s been perfectly packaged and presented by
Sam Gonzalez Jones.
The story centres around the affect
meeting a “normal” young man has on Wednesday.
Will the blossoming affair with Lucas, who
is well played by Freya Mortimer, turn Wednesday normal too or will she stay
the kind of gal who likes nothing better than a bit of crossbow practice in her
spare time?
We shall see as the plot develops,
introducing as it does a hair-raising visit to the Addams’ place by Lucas’s
parents Mal and Alice, skilfully portrayed by Will Robinson and Leri Roberts.
All the principal characters, whose efforts
are well supported by a live nine-piece band, are brilliant.
But what takes this production to a
whole new level for the Young ‘Uns is the dazzling support they receive from a
supporting cast portraying the family’s dead ancestors, some harking back to
ancient times.
Their costumes, which are simply gobsmacking,
are perfectly toned in with the settings and enhanced by some intelligent lighting. All this can be seen to stunning best
effect in the dinner scene at the end of the first act which takes on the look
of a classical religious painting.
To be commended for putting all this together in such a stylish way are co-artistic
directors Robin Crowley and Jo Lloyd, producer Pamela Williams, assistant producer
Dee Smith and musical director Julian Cattley.
You can see the show for yourself
at the Town Hall from this Thursday to Saturday.
Performances start at 7.30pm except the Saturday matinee which begins at 2pm.
* Tickets for the Addams Family, which are selling quickly, are available online at www.ticketsource.co.uk/llangollenoperaticsociety and also from Jades, Oggies and the Tourist Information Centre at £12 and £10.
* Maybe an unkind cut for little Pugsley.
* Uncle Fester presents some bald talent.
* The butler Lurches in.
* Grandma instructs Pugsley on her potions.
* The potential in-laws come to call. Lucas is on the right.
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