This show holds a very special place in my heart.
Conceived in 2010 on Broadway by several of the writers of “Jersey Boys”, this musical was the reason my now fiancé and I met. I absolutely had to review Ryde School with Upper Chine’s production when I heard it was on, and spoilers, I’m straight back to being creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky.
These Larger then Life (or should that be Death?) characters, ever since their introduction by Charles Addams in comic strip form, have punctuated popular culture for decades in Film, Animation and the recently well received “Wednesday” Netflix show. How on earth would such young performers be able to tackle such a task I wondered?
The answer, with absolute talent aplenty!
Firstly a nod to the production design, choreography and direction of the show. The set was superbly veneered in cobwebs and gothic staircases. The dancing from the ancestors chorus was a level of slick that would equate to a professional touring production and the music played live by the in-house band matched and followed the actors superbly. All on all in tech aspects, one of the most tightly staged shows I have seen on the island simply put…Well done to Charlie Youlten, Rachel Tweddle and Suzy Morris.
The entire ensemble delivered competently composed and charismatic performances across the board. The vocal harmonies particularly in “Move Towards The Darkness” and “Secrets” showcased this young casts vocal potential and I for one am very interested to see them in other shows across the isle in years to come.
Tom Thorne served buckets of charm and Latin flair as the ever puckish and mischievous Gomez Addams. He pulled off the tense struggle of being caught between his wife, the iconic Addams matriarch Morticia Addams, (played powerfully and with sass a plenty by Grace Jones) and his daughter of malice and woe, Wednesday (Maya Young, showing tremendous flair and range).
When Wednesday gets engaged to Lucas Beineke, a normal boy from Ohio (a swing state!!), its up to her to convince the Addams Family to try and have “One Normal Night” of meeting his mother and father, Mal and Alice (Maddie Tweddle and Sasha James delivering strong performances).
This goes about as well as you can imagine and the audience were treated to a genuinely laugh out loud level of hilarity and hubris, as plans are thwarted, true love and family wins, and at some point, Uncle Fester (Benjamin Pike on strong form) falls in love with the Moon.
Grandma and Pugsley Addams (Played by Cully Trevallion and Zoe Swan) ably had the audience in stitches, be it either refilling up Grandma’s “Secret Stash”, or deadpan shooting down Lucas Beineke’s (George Green) attempts to endear himself. Ever faithful family retainer Lurch (Rafferty Moore) may have got the biggest laugh of the night with his skilfully delivered two-word “Life Story”. Indeed the entire family did not put a foot wrong and I really had to keep reminding myself not only this was a school show, but also how these performers have such an exciting future ahead of them.
Myself and my Fiancé left the Theatre not only joyfully reminiscing and talking about what we watched, but also about how lucky the Island is to have such talented stage performers waiting to hopefully take their talents to new places and hoping to see them all in something again soon.
It’s only left for me to sign off my review with a click click, now back to my coffin…
Reviewed by Olly Fry
IWtheatre 