Preview: The Addams Family at South Shields Customs House

THEY’RE CREEPY AND THEY’RE KOOKY…  

The Addams Family

South Shields Customs House

Friday 10th - Sunday 12th August 2018

The cast of this year’s Summer School at The Customs House are in rehearsals for their forthcoming production of musical comedy The Addams Family. Last year’s Summer School production of Legally Blonde was named Best Amateur Musical in the North East Theatre Guide Best of 2017. 

Auditions for the roles of Gomez and Morticia Addams, their children, Wednesday and Pugsley, close family members Uncle Fester, Grandmama and Cousin Itt and the family’s butler, Lurch, were held in April.  Children and young people aged between eight and 21 were invited to take part and a 35-strong cast has been assembled, with the Summer School taking place during the first three weeks of the school summer holidays. It concludes with five performances over three days, from Friday 10^th to Sunday 12^th August.

Musical director Andrew Clarence said: “What a fantastic and talented group of young people we had for the auditions. We have been fortunate to cast some of the region’s most experienced and enthusiastic young people in the principal roles for this year's show and also are lucky enough to have a hugely talented and gifted ensemble too.”

  

The Addams Family cast members (back row, left to right) Robert Wilson Baker, Corey Adam Muizelaar, Katie Reed and Kai Newton (front row, left to right) Holly Chinneck and Emily Mohan.

Corey Adam Muizelaar has been cast as Gomez, while Katie Reed will play Morticia, and Emily Mohan and Melissa Whale-Spencer their children, Wednesday and Pugsley. Uncle Fester will be played by Robert Wilson Baker, Grandmama by Holly Chinneck and Lurch by Kai Newton and the disembodied hand, Thing, will also make an appearance.

The Addams Family started as a cartoon series in The New Yorker and the macabre family has since been depicted on TV, in both live action and animated form, in film and most recently, on Broadway and in the West End.

Featuring an original story, the stage version sees Gomez do something he’s never done before – keep a secret from his wife when his daughter confides in him that she has fallen for a ‘normal’ boy. So what happens when they invite his family over for dinner?  The ‘normal’ family will be played by Katie Stubbs (Mal), Nieve Murphy (Alice) and James Jobling (Lucas).

Director Gareth Hunter said: “The team are working hard to create a visual spectacle worthy of such a talented cast. Every year I am blown away by the dedication and talent that enables us to put on such a good musical in just two weeks. The Addams Family is such a fun, quirky show full of great tunes that I can’t wait to get started.”

Choreographer Bethany Slavin added: “I am extremely excited about choreographing for The Customs House Summer School this year. We have a great cast, full of talented performers and I can’t wait to work with everybody.  The Addams Family may not be well known as a musical, but the music is very catchy and it’s going to be a fantastic show. I’m looking forward to spending my summer with such talent.”

Tickets for The Addams Family are priced from £10 and are available from the box office on (0191) 454 1234 or online at www.customshouse.co.uk.