Picture this. It’s a beautiful summer’s evening, the sun is going down, and the stage is set. Unusually, both of these things are simultaneously visible, because Central Hall Musical Society’s production of The Addams Family faced an unexpected relocation to Greg’s Place on Campus West earlier this week when Theatre@41 was deemed an unsafe working environment because of the ongoing heatwave. This did not deter the company, and the performance was testament to the adaptability and endurance of everyone involved.
Far and away, the biggest strength of the show was the vocals. Addams is a show that doesn’t shy away from musically complex numbers and the comparatively small cast embraced the challenge. Each and every harmony could be heard clearly, and even rebounded off the Exhibition Centre with as much force as the sunset reflected in its glass exterior. While the dialogue occasionally suffered from the lack of microphones occasioned by the challenge of tech-ing a last-minute relocation to an outdoor venue, the cast provided an impressively robust vocal performance that was admirably supported by the band, directed by Will Parsons and tonight under the baton of Assistant Musical Director Archie Brett.
Another standout element of the show was its comedic aspects. It would be grossly unfair to single out any one cast member for their performance, and indeed there was no one ‘comedic’ role to carry the show’s laughs. The load was shared equally among the cast and they all did a fantastic job, with well-played comedic timing. I particularly enjoyed the constant presence of the chorus of Ancestors, who wandered among the audience joining people on picnic blankets and benches to pass witty comment on the onstage action. In the very exposed setting of Greg’s Place, with only two marquees to serve as ‘backstage’, most of the cast were almost constantly on display, but this immersive approach really added something to the experience.
Director Darcey Chambers deserves profound congratulations for her handling of the relocation and the challenges it doubtless posed to her onstage vision. To the audience, the production seemed to have suffered very little from an enormous change in venue; the odd misstep in a dance routine is entirely forgivable when an actor (several in heels) has gone from dancing on lino to concrete cobbles. With only two marquees as impromptu wings and no concealed passage between them as there would be in a regular theatre, Chambers made inventive use of the whole of the space and stage, orchestrating wandering cast members and the occasional necessary stage-cross for an entrance in a way that seemed entirely natural and convincing. The whole company deserves a standing ovation for the show they managed to put on despite a fairly substantial obstacle being placed in their path.
