THE ADDAMS FAMILY - A NEW MUSICAL South Coast Choral and Arts Society (SCCAS) Victor Harbor Town Hall Until 18 May 2019 Review by Luke Wagner One of the most daunting moments in any relationship is meeting the parents. Imagine the complexities this encounter has when your parents are dark, gothic, death-loving weirdos. That is the premise of this musical based on the 1964 series, “The Addams Family”, which the South Coast Choral and Arts Society have produced. Wednesday Addams has grown up and met a boy named Lucas. She confides in her father Gomez that Lucas has asked her to marry him and she has said yes. Wednesday doesn’t want her mother Morticia knowing just yet about her engagement, so Gomez must, for the first time ever, keep a secret from his wife. The principal cast did well overall. Greg Eden as the family patriarch was strong and charming in his characterisation. Vocally he did well, but was somewhat overpowered by the exceptional voice of Georgia Martin as Morticia. Martin was delightful to watch in the iconic role of Morticia. Her impressive vocals further made her performance memorable. Emma Lynn and Jo Grear as the in-laws Mal and Alice were fun in their roles, with Lynn in particular a joy to watch as she disclosed her true feelings to her family. Julie Kelly as Grandma, Mitchell Kelsey as Pugsley, Flynn Turley as Lucas and Jon McKay as Uncle Fester all did well in their roles. Megan Davidson as Wednesday was a particular stand out. She navigated her way throughout the family drama and gothic humour with a dark wit. Her vocals were excellent and she was brilliant to watch from start to finish. This production has been well directed by Jonathan Ogilvie. The ensemble was strong and worked well to really bring the show to life. The use of the Addams ancestors to manipulate the set was highly effective and every member of the ensemble stayed in character for every moment they were onstage. Tim Wormald and Emma Muhlack led the orchestra, who were great throughout. Jack Doherty’s choreography was excellent and was executed brilliantly. The tango between Gomez and Morticia was a particular highlight of the show. Doherty is a talent to watch based on this work. This production brings to life all of the weirdness and darkness that has made “The Addams Family” a long standing part of the pop culture vernacular. With a decent run of shows ahead there will be plenty of opportunities to experience this fun production.