The Addams Family as presented by Carrick-On-Suir Musical Society

Carrick-on-Suir Musical Society 

The Addams Family 

Wednesday 2nd April 2025 

Carrick-on-Suir Musical Society experienced a very difficult couple of days in the lead up to their production of ‘The Addams Family,’ as society stalwart, Fergus Power, sadly passed away. Their resilience in pulling together what was an amazingly slick and top-class production was quite remarkable and I'm sure that Fergus would have been very proud of their wonderful performance. It was a superbly directed, very well cast show, packed full of deliciously dark humour and exceptionally professional visual elements. 

Front of house in the Strand Theatre was busy but highly efficient, with a lovely, warm welcome for patrons as they entered the foyer. Fittingly, there was a framed photograph of Fergus Power over the door of the auditorium as we entered. A beautiful tribute as he watched over friends and family from his beloved society. 

Andrew Holden directed with great creativity, vision and understanding of the hilariously dark humour of the show. There was also great heart in his production, with many poignant moments throughout. There was excellent pace and wonderful attention to the narrative detail throughout. Mr. Holden did an excellent job in bringing the show to life. There were some fine touches which raised the production to a very high level. There was wonderful continuity and flow to the show and pace was always to the fore. Bringing Pugsley and Wednesday's torture device in at the end of ‘Trapped’ was the perfect example of keeping things moving at all times. An excellently directed show overall. 

Fergus Carroll did a wonderful job as musical director, assisted by chorus master Eamon O'Malley. He captured the Gothic essence of the show through its dynamic and quirky score. There was a superb sound from the orchestra and excellent choral work throughout. There was an exceptional sound from the orchestra. The highlight for me was the beautifully sympathetic accompaniment of the glorious ‘Happy Sad’ which really was a musical highlight. Lucas, Wednesday, Alice, and Mal sang brilliantly, with wonderful harmonies in their ‘Crazier Than You.’ There was an incredible choral sound as the show drew to a close in ‘Move Towards the Darkness.’ 

Choreographer, Keith Dwyer-Greene, did super work, devising routines that were fun, well rehearsed and always in tune with the narrative. The very tight choreography of ‘When You're an Addams,’ in which the rigor mortis poses elicited a huge response from the audience, was a very strong start to the show and set the bar very high for what was to come. There was superb use of props in the choreography of ‘The Moon and Me’ which was one of many visual highlights in the show. The tango scene with Gomez and Morticia and the two couples was superbly put together and excellently performed. 

Eoin Sheedy was a highly energetic Gomez, capturing the eccentricity of his character perfectly. Mr. Sheedy was a wonderful character actor with excellent comic timing. I loved his hilariously conflicted performance in ‘Trapped’ which was a comic delight. Little moments like the unspoken nods to the prominent attributes of Alfonso the Enormous were so well played. 

His “conspiring” was hilarious as was his utter nonsense, rambling on about the fox box in full disclosure. ‘Happy Sad’ was beautifully poignant and added greatly to his depth of character in one of the standout moments of the show. A wonderful job! 

Sandra Power exuded elegance in a very funny, macabre portrayal of the Addams matriarch, Morticia. Her expressionless demeanour and deadpan delivery were excellent. Ms. Power had superb comic timing and skilfully delivered some wonderfully subtle, understated comedy which made her a firm audience favourite. She had a fabulous vocal which was at its best in ‘Secrets’ and the beautifully performed ‘Death is Just Around the Corner.’ Overall, this was a really impressive portrayal and the perfect role for Ms. Power’s considerable talents. 

As the darkly iconic Wednesday Addams, Liadhain O'Shea had quite the journey from brooding teenager to being smitten with love for Lucas. Her signature number ‘Pulled’ was very well sung and every single word had meaning and clarity. Her impressive vocal range was showcased perfectly in this number. Ms. O'Shea had very strong comic timing and I loved her scene with Pugsley as she tortured him, much to his delight. 

Evan Boland was a wonderful Pugsley with an eternal scowl etched across his face. This was a really superb performance. I loved his bloodcurdling screams of pleasure during ‘Pulled.’ “Do it again! Do it again!” His command of dialogue was exceptionally good and he displayed great musicality too. I look forward to hearing him in future roles as his fabulous voice matures over the next few years. A wonderful performance. 

Caolán Deehy Power was a quirky and lovable Fester, eccentric in the extreme as the show’s comedic narrator. This was a larger than life, childlike portrayal which was so endearing and hilariously funny. His love story with the moon ranged from the utterly ridiculous to the beautifully poignant. His comic timing was exceptional and his wonderful facial expressions were the stuff of comedy gold. ‘The Moon and Me’ was quite possibly the highlight of the show, as Fester sang of his lunar love. A standout characterisation under difficult circumstances. 

The very talented Irene Malone gave a wonderful portrayal, full of eccentricity and unpredictability, as Grandma Addams. Ms. Malone had some of the funniest lines in the show and her particularly loaded “chow down on a Grandma sandwich!” had me gasping for air. I did feel that Grandma was a little bit too sprightly on her feet for a 102-year-old, riddled with arthritis but then it occurred to me that she most likely had some sort of magic youth potion on that trolley of hers to help offset the aging process. Excellent work overall from Ms. Malone. 

Cormac O'Donovan was a naive and nerdy Lucas. Vocally he was very strong with an impressive range and a very clear voice. Comic timing was good and I loved his line “I can be impulsive! I just have to think about it first!” Mr. O'Donovan just needed to make sure that his blindfold covered his eyes in ‘Crazier Than You.’ Overall, a very strong performance. 

Michael Raggett was a rigid and uptight Mal Beineke before finding his mojo at the end of the show. This was a superb comic performance with wonderfully appropriate and over-the top facial expressions which came into their own as he reacted to what was going on around him in ‘Full Disclosure.’ I loved how he slowly got drawn into the mayhem of this number. 

Jordan Freeman was an excellent Alice Beineke and her journey from repressed housewife 

to finding herself in the middle of Central Park was a source of great hilarity. She was a wonderful comedienne, at her hilarious best during ‘Secrets’ and when letting down her hair in the brilliant ‘Full Disclosure.’ Her strong vocal at the end of ‘Full Disclosure,’ as she hit her ’When Harry Met Sally’ moment, was quite remarkable. 

Neil Bourke almost stole the show as Lurch, which is some achievement given that he didn't speak a word from start to finish. His imposing presence and wonderful physicality was hilarious as he acted his way through monosyllabic grunts, groans, and growls. I loved his filling the Beinekes in on his backstory which could have gone on for another 10 minutes it was so funny. What a great voice he had too as he shocked us with a fantastically resonant ‘Move Towards the Darkness.’ An excellent performance. 

Who knew that the Addams Family was descended from a long line of the most eclectic ancestors? The ensemble did superbly well with their myriad characters such as Laurel and Hardy, Jack the Ripper, Emily Pankhurst, and many, many more recognisable characters from history. This ensemble was hugely committed and extremely focused right through the show. They brought so much to the overall visual and I loved how they were used to bring in props, pieces of costume and were integrated into the action so well. Their energy in dance numbers was exceptional as was the precision of movement. Ensemble harmonies were also wonderful, especially in ‘Full Disclosure’ and ‘Move Towards the Darkness.’ 

The set was visually stunning. The stage was framed by a wonderful proscenium arch, grey, with bare trees on a dark, misty landscape. The similarly painted backdrop, which was tracked back and forth to reveal the interior of the Addams house, was very effective.

The imposing gates in the preset and the half sunken gravestones were fabulously authentic and I loved the terrifying gargoyles which looked down from above. These sliding gargoyle pieces worked very well and I loved how they came together to frame Pugsley's bed. The deliciously gothic, blood splattered interior of the Addams residence was a delight, tying in perfectly with the dark humour of the piece. The fabulous moon on stage left for ‘The Moon and Me’ looked amazing and the projected face was a touch of theatrical magic. 

There was excellent stage management from start to finish. Stage Manager, Michael O’Hara, ensured that superbly timed, slick changes added to a very fast-moving show and ensured that pace was exceptional throughout. I loved the flying of Fester which was quite spectacularly done and brilliantly timed. The tracking in and out of the backdrop was very slick too. 

Lighting was exceptional. There was lots of haze and a lovely blue wash in the preset, setting a very atmospheric, eerie, and foreboding scene. The subtle lighting changes to reflect the various moods of the overture told us that this was going to be a very cleverly lit show from the start. There was exceptional timing of cues throughout. I loved the timing for Gomez as he snapped in and out of ‘Two Things’ and ‘Three Things’ so sharply, perfectly executed. There was delightfully showy lighting for the “dance routine” in ‘Secrets.’ There was fantastic work too in ‘Full Disclosure,’ perfectly capturing the zaniness of the number. 

Sound was also excellent throughout. Underscored dialogue was always very clear and there were superbly timed cues right through the show. Vocals sat on top of accompaniment perfectly and every single word in this show could be heard clearly; no mean feat with so many people on stage. There was exceptional balance in the pit, with the band being superbly mixed. ‘Full Disclosure’ highlighted the excellent sound design and operation of this show. It's a number that can be very challenging but, on this occasion, there was a brilliant job in balancing the ensemble, the principals, and the orchestra quite perfectly. 

‘The Addams Family’ is, of course, a very quirky show when it comes to props and this production was no different. There was great attention to detail and much resourcefulness had been shown. Gomez's sword, Grandma's acremonium, the distressed red tablecloth, the sacred chalice, the ancestors candles, parasols for ‘The Moon and Me’,

Wednesday's crossbow, Pugsley's black duvet, Lurch's brilliant payphone and, of course, Fester's jetpack were just a few of the excellently chosen props which added hugely to the exceptional visual quality of this show. 

There was outstanding work done on costuming. Every single principal character was meticulously turned out, remaining true to these iconic characters. I loved Gomez's pinstripe suit and spats. Lurch's enhanced footwear was perfect as was Mal’s Grateful Dead t-shirt. The ancestors were the most amazing creations, a motley crew of stock characters from the ages, and I know that a huge amount of work must have gone into getting these exactly right. Sometimes, it's the small things that catch your eye and to this end I loved the detail of Pugsley's one sock up, one sock down choice. Whether intended or not, it gave me great entertainment. 

There was also exceptional work in the hair and makeup department creating some highly original and striking characters. The ancestors were amazing in their ‘Avatar-esque,’ blue makeup. I’m sure that they are still trying to wash it off themselves. Lurch's prominent forehead stood out (literally!). Pugsley's centre parting was perfect and Fester’s amazing look was perfectly accurate for the iconic role. There was great attention to detail with Morticia's sleek black hair and Grandma's wild grey locks. A fabulous job overall! 

This was an excellently produced version of ‘The Addams Family’ from Carrick-on-Suir Musical Society. Technically and visually, it was most impressive and the society was blessed with a such a creative production team and a superbly talented cast. To rally around like they did, under such difficult circumstances, speaks volumes for the wonderful support networks that we are so lucky to experience in our musical theatre circles. Family first and family last, indeed. 

Pat McElwain 

Gilbert Adjudicator 2024/2025

Photos by John Murphy Photography