The Addams Family
Directed by Matthew White
Book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice
Music and Lyrics by Andrew Lippa
Based on characters created by Charles Addams
Curve, Leicester
Tues 15th July – Sun 10th August, 2025
‘Their house is a museum. When people come to see ’em. They really are a scream. The Addams family…’
Written for the 1964 sitcom, these words are just as true today. Beginning life as cartoon characters drawn by illustrator Charles Addams, this fictional family have an enduring appeal that has lasted down the years and on the evidence of tonight shows no sign of diminishing. It’s a gothic extravaganza!
Their gloomy aesthetic and the creepy goings-on in their dilapidated mansion will be familiar to many, so when the orchestra strikes up and ‘Thing’ appears through a letterbox, we all begin to click our fingers in time to the ‘….doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo’. From the opening few bars, the band are in fine form which continues throughout the whole evening.
The plot, which is a trifle thin, revolves around Wednesday Addams (Lauren Jones). Wednesday is growing up. In one of the best jokes of the evening, we are told, ‘She is going to be Thursday before you know it.’ She has fallen in love with the seemingly ‘all-American’ boy Lucas Beineke (Jacob Fowler). They want to get married, but Wednesday is fearful of the reaction of her mother Morticia (Alexandra Burke).
She hatches a plan for a special dinner where the parents from both sides can meet, taking her father Gomez (Ricardo Afonso) into her confidence along the way. Of course, mischief and mayhem ensue, along with rather more profound messages on the nature of family, marriage, loyalty, and trust. Is it true love or just an identity crisis?
Afonso has the lion’s share of time on stage and brings Hispanic flair and extravagance to his Gomez. He nails both the comedy and the seriousness as the man caught between wife and daughter. His version of ‘Trapped’ is emblematic of the songs tonight. There is often a simplicity that belies their effectiveness. Even if you haven’t heard the soundtrack before, they are easy to latch onto, and one can appreciate the fun side of the lyrics.
Kara Lane as Alice Beineke is a revelation. When she erupts into ‘Waiting,’ we are as surprised as husband Mal (Dale Rapley). It is one hell of a transformation that leaves you rooting for her continued emancipation.
Alexandra Burke also showcases her magnificent singing voice in numbers such as, ‘Secrets’ but in my opinion her Morticia lacks a certain mystique when interacting with both family and audience. I would like her to bewitch us a little more and make us feel more sympathy towards a mother who is feeling conflicted about herself and her daughter both getting older and how their lives must necessarily pivot.
Special mention must be given Lurch (Dickon Gough) and Uncle Fester (Clive Rowe). Gough displays superb comic timing as he unhurriedly goes about his business. Be prepared for a major shock towards the end as the audience reaction at this point is one to be cherished.
Rowe brings a sweetness to Fester and introduces amusing elements of metatheatre, for example when he questions whether it is the right place to end an Act. Nicholas McLean (although perhaps looking too old given the script) also performs well, especially in his scenes with Grandma, the inexhaustible Lesley Joseph.
Uneven pacing aside, there is much to be praised in this most recent iteration of The Addams Family. Design by Diego Pitarch is a gothic feast for the eyes. The mansion is particularly pleasing with its broken down, faded glamour. As are the costumes, especially those of the ensemble. Everywhere you look there is some detail that warrants a second glance.
Playing until Sunday 10th August, The Addams Family is most definitely a crowd pleaser.
Fun for all the family and not just of the Addams’ variety.
Age guidance: 8+
Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)
Show warnings: Haze, fog, and smoke, a pyrotechnic and the depiction of smoking.
