The Addams Family at The Bristol Hippodrome - Bristol Event Review

Posted on: 2017-09-20

Our rating:

A hilariously dark evening


They’re spooky and they’re kookie – come on, you know who we’re talking about. That’s right, The Addams family musical has started it’s run in our very own fair city of Bristol. With accolades such as music written by Tony award winner Andrew Lippa and the writers of ‘Jersey Boys’ on board – this is an extremely slick and impressive show.

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The songs are original and the adventure is a new one, whereby Wednesday is now all grown up and in love. She’s not fallen for a ghost or ghoul as you would expect of an Addams, but in typical teenager style, she’s rebelled and gone for a sweeter than sweet all American good boy. When the young lovers want the parents to meet – chaos and hilarity ensues.

The Addams Family has seven more shows in Bristol before departing for the next leg of their tour

Despite having a classic British cast, namely the stunning Samantha Womack as Morticia (of ‘Game on’ and ‘Eastenders’ fame), the American accents are incredibly well orchestrated. Carrie Hope Fletcher as Wednesday, is clearly the stand out voice of the cast. Not only was she pitch perfect, she was also displaying faultless choreography and acting skills. Having come from huge productions of Les Miserables and the like however, this is not a surprise. Cameron Blakely as Gomez, and Uncle Fester steal the show comedically, by just owning their characters so well and being somehow the most gruesome and the most endearing all at once.  Unfortunately, in the show we attended, Les Dennis was unavailable and Fester was played by an understudy. This revelation was announced just before showtime and met with groans and boos -  however, by the end of the show, Fester easily got the biggest cheers.

In terms of set design, the impressive Addams mansion, graveyard and torture chamber are ingeniously interchangeable and there are a few explosions and sparks for those of an excitable disposition. Costumes were simple and true to the TV and film Addams we all know and love when it came to the main cast. Morticias regulation black gown and Gomez’s go to pinstripe suit were on point and flattering, while Lurch and Pugsley rock an extremely high waistband. My personal favourite ensemble however has to go to Fester, for an extremely fetching Victorian style woollen swim suit with adequate staining. Simply stunning.

Things got far more ornate when it came to the ensemble, made up of the Addams family ancestor’s ghosts. Everyone from an Elizabethan queen to an ancient Matador is sporting the most ornate and beautiful costume and make up. They are so unique it’s hard to take your eyes off them as they swarm around the live family members and float in ghostly paintings.

The website for the show brags that it’s ‘sure to entertain whether you are 7 or 307!’ and if I had to choose one takeaway that really would be it. Not only is it only a two hour show (with an interval), it also has some slapstick comedy and Disney style singalong songs for the little ones, as well as some more raunchy comedy that undoubtedly went over their heads. There were some political references to Tories and Trump, which gave the very lefty Bristol a personal touch and a satirical chuckle.

The show is due to tour all over the UK until November 4th and you can see the tour dates here – but the Addams leave Bristol after their last show on Saturday night. Make sure you catch them before they go! 



Article by:

Talicza Stevens

Talicza has only lived in Bristol for three years, but has been reviewing gigs, shows and albums for decades as well as writing her own true crime podcast Transatlantic Crime.