Musical Theatre / The Addams Family, Canberra Philharmonic Society. At Erindale Theatre, until September 13. Reviewed by BILL STEPHENS.
Since it opened on Broadway in 2010 the musical The Addams Family has become a magnet for community theatre companies attracted by the opportunities it offers to create a world inhabited by zombies.
Led by first-time director, Alexander Unikowski, the Canberra Philharmonic Society has mounted an ambitious production of impressive settings and costumes and a large, talented cast.
The story revolves around a close-knit American family united in their embrace of all things macabre, whose lifestyle is seriously disrupted when the daughter, Wednesday, falls in love with a “normal” boy, Lucas Beineke.
When Wednesday invites the Beinke Family to dinner, she swears her father to secrecy about her plans to announce their engagement, sowing the seeds for the chaos that erupts when Pugsley spikes Alice Beineke’s drink before parlour game, Full Disclosure.
In this production by the Canberra Philharmonic Society, Philo newcomers, Quintin Gravatt and Giuliana Baggoley portray the family patriarchs, Gomez and Morticia Addams. Although both looked the part and offered creditable performances, neither has yet mastered the comic sophistication demanded by the roles. More attention to mining the laughs inherent in their lines will pay-off in later performances.
Leah Peel Griffiths impressed with a stand-out performance as their recalcitrant daughter Wednesday; and although she gave it her best shot, it was hard to fathom the thinking behind miscasting Lucinda Hope-White as her brother, Puglsey.
Lauren Nihill relished garnering her fair share of the laughs with her comic turn as Grandma; Tim Stiles tugged at the heartstrings with his captivating performance as Uncle Fester, and Benjamin Martin was suitably taciturn as the manservant, Lurch.
Andrew Finegan and Amelia Andersson-Nickson are outstanding as Mal and Alice Beinke, with Andersson-Nickson stealing the show with her show-stopping rendition of Waiting. Callan James Clarke is totally believable as their son, and Wednesday’s on/off again fiancé, Lucas.
Unikowski has utilised his large cast wisely with his decision to allot each zombie ensemble member an individual character to develop. This paid off with interesting characterisations, particularly when the zombies are observers, but it also resulted in irritating focus-pulling in critical plot moments, as did his decision to pre-empt scenes by having characters and scenery take the stage before the preceding scene was completed.
Another first-timer, musical director Darcy Kinsella, impressed with the excellence of the orchestral sound achieved, and the attentiveness of his accompaniments, while choreographer Caitlin Schilg again displayed her talent for filling the stage with interesting movement.
No doubt first-night jitters that resulted in backstage crew being too often caught in the spotlight, as well as other criticisms mentioned above, will be overcome in future performances.
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