The Addams Family – Milton Keynes Theatre and Touring

Joanne Clifton and Cameron Blakely in The Addams Family at Milton Keynes Theatre and Touring. Picture: Pamela Raith

The Addams Family continues at Milton Keynes Theatre until 15 January 2022 and then tours until 11 June.

Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

The musical adaptation of comedy classic The Addams Family rises from the dead to take to the stage at Milton Keynes Theatre this week. The quirky show follows the well-known and extraordinary family of Gomez (Cameron Blakely), Morticia (Joanne Clifton), Wednesday (Kingsley Morton), Uncle Fester (Scott Paige), Lurch (Dickon Gough) and Pugsley (Grant Mcintyre).

The ultimate princess of darkness, Wednesday is now a young lady and has fallen in love with a sweet, young man from a respectable family – which isn’t quite in keeping with the Addams family values. While Gomez keeps their engagement a secret from his terrifying wife, the family arrange a dinner to unite the two families. Involving potions, torture and ghosts, the dinner doesn’t quite go to plan, but with hilarious consequences.

The cast members perfectly embody their characters, from Gomez’s passionate Italian to Morticia’s signature saunter. The costumes keep to the classic looks that we have come to know and love, and extra sparkle is added with an ensemble of living dead from throughout the ages, including a spooky ballerina, what looks like Queen Boudica and one of Henry VIII’s beheaded wives.

Combined with the extravagant set (credit to designer Diego Pitarch), which brings to life the eery interior of the Addams Family home, Matthew White’s production packs a punch. Songs and dances choreographed by Alistair David are all performed to perfection and the slapstick comedy causes ripples of laughter from the audience.

However, I left the theatre feeling less than enamoured by the show. It lacks an engaging plot and is really slow-moving at times, with little happening in the long Act I. It felt like it was trying too hard to fit into the musical comedy box, and for me, didn’t quite succeed in translating the adored television series and film to the stage.

The simplicity makes it perfect for a younger audience and I’d recommend it to children rather than adults. No fault to the cast which performs impeccably, but the show just needed a little more substance to have kept me hooked throughout.

Hannah Grimmette