The Addams Family, The Musical Comedy @ Bradford Alhambra

Photograph credited to Matt Martin

Whether you’re a huge fan of The Addams Family or have never seen the TV show or film, you need to see this musical. It’s fresh, fun and gloriously produced.

The musical itself is fresh off the page from Marshall Brickman, Rick Elice and Andrew Lippa. Wednesday Addams is in love with all-American Lucas Beineke. All she wants is one normal dinner with her future husband and his parents. But can her wacky parents Gomez and Morticia give her that?

Cameron Blakely is ideal as Gomez—he’s funny, creepy and sexy and utterly likeable. Playing his wife, Morticia, Samantha Womack also delivers a strong performance and her singing voice is beautiful. None of the cast can compete with the superstar Carrie Hope Fletcher as Wednesday, however. Her voice is stunning and every word she utters is full of feeling and conviction.

Providing the comedy is everyone’s family fave Les Dennis as Uncle Fester, who acts as almost a narrator. Wednesday’s bitter and bolshy brother, Pugsley, is played with an innocent petulance by Grant McIntrye and provides plenty of laughs for the audience.

The script is fantastic and there’s a real plot there—through dark comedy, real themes are explored and anyone who has been a child growing up, or a parent who has watched their child growing up, will identify with this iconic family. The songs are slightly forgettable, but this really is the only negative I can think of in what’s a pretty perfect production.

Choreographed by Alistair David, the movement is subtle and non-intrusive, yet makes a huge impact. The ensemble fill out the stage and add a gloomy presence throughout and this really adds to the show. The realistic and cleverly constructed set by Diego Pitarch transforms the stage into every room of the cobwebbed, ancient old mansion and I really feel as though I’m right there in the family. The costumes are also beautifully created to look creepy and in keeping with the rest of the musical but avoid looking tacky or cliched.

The direction from Matthew White is spot on, and the cast are faultless. In fact, really, the whole show is faultless.

Don’t miss it at Bradford Alhambra until 8th July.