***
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff
Wed 2 August
The core image of this production of The Addams Family, the family unit all grouped together centre stage, displays the immediate visual appeal of the cast. They fill the character moulds well, but vary in their individual performances. The rampant physicality of Gomez keeps him an energetic, reliable leading man. Morticia, though receiving a decent song here and there, is let down by little narrative impetus, as is Pugsley. Wednesday is one of the most powerful singers in the show, emoting well while belting out her songs. Although not all of the comedy lands, the ancillary characters provide varying forms of humour. Grandma is peppered throughout with entertaining dialogue, Lurch provides consistently good sight gags, and Fester acts more as an Uncle to the audience through his fourth wall breaking, although his jokes in these moments are at times slightly forced.
The stage design lends a sense of playfulness to the proceedings. Lighting is effectively used to stamp comedic moments, and the appearances and suggestions of the various creatures in the house, although underused, are neat and welcome touches. The various scene locations, while having some good visuals and a brief hint of German Expressionism in their design choices, don’t feel truly lived in, and the lack of a genuinely moody atmosphere makes the impact of the flashy staging less potent as the show progresses.
While the choreography with the Addams ancestors is not overtly special, a stripped-back tango scene involving Morticia, Gomez and the chorus is very well done. Investment in the story is greatly weakened in that the narrative crux, the undying newfound love between two characters, is made an established fact as the story opens, rather than an actual development within the show. Additionally, the focus on comedy in the show prevents its emotionally resonant themes, including letting go of family members and discovering love at any age, from truly landing.
The songs all follow typical Broadway song structures, although the scatterings of different music flavours (including a Latin mood for Gomez and guitar riffs for the youthful angst of Wednesday) help make the songs consistently enjoyable and catchy. While the songs are mostly comedic, one or two carry an effectively emotional sentimentality.
Although the narrative issues hinder the emotional investment of the production and prevent it from rising above an entertaining, albeit fleeting, time at the theatre, the show has a core grasp of the source material and a generically memorable song list. Overall, it is light and fun, and it keeps its energy up throughout.
words EDWARD LEE