The Addams Family Book by Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice, music & lyrics by Andrew Lippa. In concert 12 & 13 February 2024 at the Palladium, Argyle Street, London W1F.

4✩✩✩✩ Review: William Russell.

“High camp and black humour as the Addams Family return to the stage.”

The 2010 Broadway musical of The Adams Family starring Nathan Lane as Gomez was not admired by the critics but loved by audiences it had a successful run and went on to be seen all over the world except in London’s West End. The show – the plots seem to vary – did tour the UK and Ireland in 2022 but Covid brought that to a premature end and this concert version is its London debut . Strongly cast, handsomely staged it delighted the Palladium audience of Addams Family fans some of whom had come in costume. The concept of the show is very much that of the 1991 film, not a musical but a series of sketches, which had effective performances in the major roles from Raul Julia as Gomez , Anjelica Huston as Morticia, and notably Christina Ricci as daughter Wednesday. That too, however, like the Broadway show was a critical disaster but an audience pleaser . Here Ramin Karimloo is Gomez and Michelle Visage is Morticia, both slightly underwhelming when it comes to camping things up, essential if the whole Addams Family joke is to work, but Karimloo has a fine voice and when required to hit those top notes he does to the general delight of all in the house while Visage, who oddly does not get many chances in the first half, not even the show stopping song in it which goes to someone else, rises splendidly to the occasion with her big number opening Act Two. The ensemble works hard, Lesley Joseph as Grandma, engulfed in a terrible wig, is totally wasted, but Sam Buttery shines as Uncle Fester although his love affair with the moon rather fizzles out – this being a concert version there is no way he can fly anywhere in his rocket suit and he just wanders off into the wings. The plot involves daughter Wednesday falling for the gormless Lucas and what happens when his stodgy parents come for dinner when the errant Addams son Pugsley spikes drinks with a potion nicked from Grandma who specialises in such things. But forget all that. While not a great musical Lippa’s score is serviceable and tuneful, his lyrics often amusing, and there are some good jokes. In this latest incarnation – the family started in a series New Yorker cartoons and went on to be a successful TV programme – the musical about them remains what it was way back on Broadway - an audience pleaser.

Cast

Michelle Visage – Morticia.

Ramin Karimloo –Gomez.

Lesley Joseph – Grandma.

Sam Buttery – Uncle Fester.

Puglsey – Nicholas Mclean.

Lurch – Dickon Gough,

Wednesday – Chumisa Dornford-May.

Alice Beineke – Kara Lane.

Mal Beineke – Sean Kingsley.

Lucas Beineke – Ryan Kopel.

Ensemble – Leeroy Boone; Abigaul Brodie; Gavin Eden; Chloe Gentles; Katie Hutton; Matthew Ives; Jessica Keable; Castell Parker.

Creatives

Director – Matthew White.

Musical Director – Andrew Hilton.

Orchestrations – Richard Beadle.

Lighting Designer – Ben Cracknell.

Sound Designer – Richard Brooker.

Choreographer – Alistair David.

Sound Designer – Rochard Booker.

Designer – Diego Pitarch.