Find the light among the darkness

Ashley Hehir and William Law

Big on laughs, but with a dark edge, Little Seed’s production of The Addams Family is the perfect treat for theatre fans starved of live entertainment in 2020.

Little Seed will be presenting The Addams Family at The J in Noosa on Friday 2 and Saturday 3 October.

“The Addams Family is a fun and youthful musical and the perfect fit for a theatre company that works with emerging artists,” Little Seed’s director Johanna Wallace said.

“It is the right musical for us at the right time – a little bit dark but also jubilant – so ideal for 2020.”

The Addams Family, which opened on Broadway in 2010, brings the dark and delightful world of Gomez (Andrew Roberts), Morticia (Abigail Waugh), Uncle Fester (Jack Ryan), Wednesday (Ashlyn Hehir), Pugsley (Naire McDonald), Grandma (Kadin Jamal), Lurch (Ellery Scott) and Thing (William Whittaker) to spooky and spectacular life.

The smash hit comedy features a storyline that is every father’s nightmare. Wednesday Addams has outgrown her headless doll collection and unexpectedly fallen for a young man from Ohio, Lucas (William Law), who comes from a “normal” family. The future of the whole Addams family turns on the fateful night they host a dinner party for sweet Lucas and his straightlaced parents (Curtis Bock and Bianca Pinkney).

Andrew Roberts, who plays the lead role of Gomez Addams, said the Addams Family takes iconic characters, established through much-loved TV shows and movies, and places them in brand new situations where the audience can enjoy all their quirks.

“Gomez is such a great character to play because I have to hit so many emotional beats – it’s really challenging to go from happy-go-lucky to gloomy in a matter of moments,” Mr Roberts said.

“Andy has worked so hard to create the character of Gomez and has gone over and above to make this production a success. He sends me up to 10 messages a day, sharing his ideas for lighting, updating our cue sheet, offering thoughts of staging – he’s such a great local talent,” Ms Wallace said.

What does it feel like to stage a performance in a year when theatres around the world remain shut?

“The logistics of this production have been very challenging, and there have been times where we’ve thought we would never get to show our work. We certainly don’t take it for granted how lucky we are in Queensland to be able to present The Addams Family,” Ms Wallace said.

“I always say our cast has enough energy to power Noosa. After being unable to perform for most of the year, they will electrify the audience. We’re really excited.”

Little Seed Theatre Company will present The Addams Family on Friday 2 and Saturday 3 October, with matinees at 2pm and evening performances at 6.30pm. Seating is limited due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Book your tickets at www.thej.com.au/the-addams-family/