THE ADDAMS FAMILY - The Lowry, Salford (14/08/25)

They're creepy, kooky, but little more than that in this cult classic Lippa musical

They may have been around in various guises since the late 1930s, but there is still something devilishly, morbidly charming about everyone's favourite macabre family who revel in everything gruesome and grisly. The appeal of "The Addams Family" stems largely from their innate, unashamed self-awareness and unequivocal comfort in being outcasts, something to which many of us, at some point, have been able to relate on a very strong level.

Fifteen years after it was first staged on broadway, "The Addams Family" musical, penned by Andrew Lippa, is back on stage, and continues to equally delight and disgust audiences in the best way possible. Some stage shows are there to elicit deep thought and feeling, whilst others are merely for the pure enjoyment and entertainment factor; this one very much falls into the latter category, as it can't be denied that, in spite of all the wonderful humour in Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice's fun but flawed book, as well as the top tier visual palate, we do have a musical that sadly doesn't have a great deal of substance about it, in either the score or the book.

Clive Rowe and the company of The Addams Family (credit: Pamela Raith)

The problem with Lippa's score isn't necessarily how its written, as there is some great originality on display, and it is actually very well orchestrated, especially in numbers like "When You're An Addams" and "Crazier Than You". Unfortunately much of the musical content fails to really lift or grab us, and the slower, more sentimental numbers in particular feel fairly flat and generic.

Where this production comes into its own is how it's designed, the sets and costumes Diego Pitarch are hugely impressive, and presented with heaps of character, really selling the creepy, kooky aesthetic that has become so synonymous with the Addams Family. Though many of the costumes fit the bill as far as traditional depictions of these characters go, the most intriguing of these is perhaps the attire adopted by Wednesday, with her signature black dress substituted for something far more edgy, heavily punk-inspired, and fabulously fitting with a more adult iteration of the eldest Addams offspring and her dark, sadistic nature.

Wednesday herself is portrayed well by up and coming talent Lauren Jones, who really sells the character's nonchalance and ruthlessness to a tee. Playing opposite her as Lucas is Jacob Fowler, his take on the sweet hopeless romantic against the darker and more grim backdrop and surrounding figures fully endears us to him, plus he and Jones contrast with and play off of one another rather brilliantly. The other major highlight was Kara Lane as Jacob's mother Alice, she certainly gave the strongest vocal performance of the evening, and her comic acting was fully on point.

Lauren Jones and Ricardo Afonso (credit: Pamela Raith)

Whilst the majority of performances were very strong, it was difficult to overlook Alexandra Burke's distinct lack of prowess as an actor, Morticia is one of those figures who emanates sultriness, wit and dominance, whereas Burke seemed to focus too much on her tone of voice, rather than selling a convincing characterisation. It has to be said though that she is a sensational dancer, she and the remainder of the company executed Alistair David's slick, original choreography remarkably well.

Overall this is a production and a musical that I feel would struggle to translate were it not sufficiently visually embellished, and that does speak volumes about the flawed nature of both Lippa's score and the book by Brickman and Elice. Casting aside this undoubted lack of narrative depth though, one can't deny that this is a fun, silly, and giddily ghoulish show that does ultimately manage to capture the morbid magic of the titular family rather well.

★★★☆☆

"The Addams Family" runs at the Lowry until the 16th of August, with further performances in Canterbury and Blackpool (tickets)