The Addams Family (Stourbridge Amateur Operatic Society)
Well this is review 100 since I started writing seriously and frankly one I suspect I might run out of remarkable phrases to describe but, I'll do my best to do a superlative performance justice, one I can only imagine Charles Addams would have been justly proud to inspire. Music & Lyrics from a modern day great in the industry, Andrew Lippa and a book by Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice, the stage was transformed stunningly by Margaret Taylor and her Stage Crew into the strange surroundings inhabited by the even quirkier Addams Family.
Having seen some publicity shots it wasn't obvious to me at first glance who had been cast as family leader Gomez Addams, I should have known better, there is only one person who could create that character in such a magnificent way, of course that is 'local stage hero' Leon Davies adding to a string of previous successes. As his vampish or should I say vampire-ish wife Morticia is the breathtaking Rachel Davies with a performance that probably deserves a bigger venue, a bigger audience and a professional status.
Anna Forster is scary in more ways than one as Wednesday Addams, scarily powerful vocals, scarily accurate characterisation and she's carrying a crossbow ! It's that weapon which love interest Lucas Beineke, played enthusiastically by George Stuart, will allow her to fire at him whilst she is blindfolded, it must therefore be love or he really is crazier than her.
Bouncing bundle of fun is probably the best way to describe Mark Horne's portrayal of Uncle Fester, picking-up the role of narrator/storyteller for this tale of normal meets ..... well not so normal. Anna Hough is an engagingly charismatic Grandma with probably some of the best one-liners in the show delivered accurately and milking the audience for every laugh, completing the family is young Pugsley Addams, a piece of stylishly confident acting, well beyond his years, from William Shillingford.
Let's not forget of course, as if we could with such stature, family butler Lurch, a man of few words but, an authentic piece of character acting from Alex Catana, eliciting the biggest reaction of the night as he finally vocalised into the song 'Move Toward the Darkness'.
Parents of Lucas and struggling with the sheer unexpected nature of the situation they find themselves in, on top of their own lost love for each other are Adam Chester as frustrated and slightly domineering father Mal Beineke and another exceptional performance from Salli Gage as slightly submissive mother Alice Beineke, there is a big voice inside that isn't obvious until the confidence of the character grows, or is whatever Pugsley mistakenly put in her drink.
Suffice to say this is a fully rounded performance and the ensemble cast in a variety of ghostly guises only add to the atmosphere, one that is created superbly by Director/Choreographer, Adam Partridge and enhanced by the ever excellent musicality from Musical Director, Jonathan Hill.
Since the run of performances finishes on Saturday 20th October 2018 and you wouldn't want to be the one that has to give 'full disclosure' that you missed it, let yourself be 'pulled in a new direction' (or an old one if you've been there before) to Stourbridge Town Hall and you'll enjoy what is after all only 'one normal night' !
Book Here
Having seen some publicity shots it wasn't obvious to me at first glance who had been cast as family leader Gomez Addams, I should have known better, there is only one person who could create that character in such a magnificent way, of course that is 'local stage hero' Leon Davies adding to a string of previous successes. As his vampish or should I say vampire-ish wife Morticia is the breathtaking Rachel Davies with a performance that probably deserves a bigger venue, a bigger audience and a professional status.
Anna Forster is scary in more ways than one as Wednesday Addams, scarily powerful vocals, scarily accurate characterisation and she's carrying a crossbow ! It's that weapon which love interest Lucas Beineke, played enthusiastically by George Stuart, will allow her to fire at him whilst she is blindfolded, it must therefore be love or he really is crazier than her.
Bouncing bundle of fun is probably the best way to describe Mark Horne's portrayal of Uncle Fester, picking-up the role of narrator/storyteller for this tale of normal meets ..... well not so normal. Anna Hough is an engagingly charismatic Grandma with probably some of the best one-liners in the show delivered accurately and milking the audience for every laugh, completing the family is young Pugsley Addams, a piece of stylishly confident acting, well beyond his years, from William Shillingford.
Let's not forget of course, as if we could with such stature, family butler Lurch, a man of few words but, an authentic piece of character acting from Alex Catana, eliciting the biggest reaction of the night as he finally vocalised into the song 'Move Toward the Darkness'.
Parents of Lucas and struggling with the sheer unexpected nature of the situation they find themselves in, on top of their own lost love for each other are Adam Chester as frustrated and slightly domineering father Mal Beineke and another exceptional performance from Salli Gage as slightly submissive mother Alice Beineke, there is a big voice inside that isn't obvious until the confidence of the character grows, or is whatever Pugsley mistakenly put in her drink.
Suffice to say this is a fully rounded performance and the ensemble cast in a variety of ghostly guises only add to the atmosphere, one that is created superbly by Director/Choreographer, Adam Partridge and enhanced by the ever excellent musicality from Musical Director, Jonathan Hill.
Since the run of performances finishes on Saturday 20th October 2018 and you wouldn't want to be the one that has to give 'full disclosure' that you missed it, let yourself be 'pulled in a new direction' (or an old one if you've been there before) to Stourbridge Town Hall and you'll enjoy what is after all only 'one normal night' !
Book Here
Comments
Post a Comment