Spooktacular show delights Innerleithen audiences Fright night
DARKLY delicious devilry delivered a spooktacular show ‘The Addams Family’ to Borders audiences.
Innerleithen & District Amateur Operatic Society’s production of the musical comedy, written for Broadway in 2010, raised the spirits of all who took the crazy trip at the town’s Memorial Hall.
And for those frightened souls who have not entered producer Brian McGlasson’s Addams Family crypt, there are shows tonight and Saturday at 7.30pm.
Or, if the graveyard shift is not attractive, a matinée at 2.15pm on Saturday.
Lead Douglas Russell’s fabulous singing as Gomez would echo through the Parisian sewers where Morticia [Angela Duncan], who was perfectly in tune with the black humour, relishes a trip.
Their dancing and indeed the whole cast, choreographed by Mo Anderson, rivalled anything on Strictly.
For all, their voices were complemented by musical director Jenny Campbell’s musicians: Reed one
- Tracy Shortreed;
Reed two - Greg
Davis; trumpet
- Colin Kemp, trombone Andrew Sharpe; keyboard one - Michael Gemmell; keyboard two
- Neve Reed; guitar - Dallas Paterson; bass guitar - Keith Murphy and drums - Rachel Nicolson. Erin Thompson’s Wednesday was weirdness personified; and her voice, combined with love interest Lucas (Johnnie M-G), would have opened the doors to hell. James
McCubbin, as Lurch, barely uttered a breath till virtually the final scene when he cleared the demons from his throat.
Dale Burnside’s Fester acted as narrator and held the show together while also exploring some special comic scenes and helping to show off Kenneth Boak’s superb lighting.
Fester’s role with the moon also demonstrated the clever set artistry.
Pugsley, played by Rosie Graham, brought torture to a new level and delivered some cruelly comic lines – loving nothing better than “having his tongue nailed to the bathroom floor!”
All Karen Wilson’s Grandma, aged 102, missed was a broomstick. But she had magic aplenty especially in her cocktail selection of poisonous potions.
Nicole Graham’s Alice, Lucas’s mother, stole the final scene of act one after a dance, showing the Addams Family the strait-laced could rival them in shock tactics.
Mal (Roger Brydon) lifted the lid on the coffin and reverted from an office stiff in suit and tie, with a delightful reference to his Grateful Dead tee shirt.
The supporting cast played up to the “unspeakable horror” and were wonderfully outfitted by Rhona McGlasson and assistant Susan McGinn.
They made memorable dance moves, especially for the rigour mortis death rattle.
Ancestors and dancers are: Heather Adams, John Armstrong, David Brown, Anne Brownlee, Rachael Cox, Annette Ferguson, Wendy Fleming, Pamela Fraser, Siobhan Gallagher, Aimee Gilhooley, Lucy Happer, Stuart Johnstone, Cady Kelso, Kathryn Lees,Katy Lockett, Anne McKinnon, Maria Oliver, Jennifer Russell, Angela Scott,Summer Spence, Mark Taylor, Colin Tweedie, Ariadne Wallace, Nicola Watt, Kathy Webber, Sarah Whiteford and Leanne Young.
Front of house staff made all welcome and the oldschool usherettes had a great supply of Caldwell’s ice cream.
Those staff were: Box office: Jean Wilson; front of house manager: Alexina Hamilton; front of house staff: Ami Barber, Shirley Bean, Elma Belleville, Rachel Cambell, Skye Connor, Elizabeth Fairless, Helen Gault, Kristeen Gilmore, Ellie Hope, Janice Lees, Ross McGinn, Jannine McGlasson, Ella Muir, Zoe Spence and Stewart Wilson.
The backstage creepy crew making everything happen were: Stage manager: Mark Phelan assisted by Christopher Wilson; lighting: Kenneth Boak; properties: Angela Wilson assisted by Freya Wilson; stage crew: Dugall Barber, Morgan Barber, Charlie Bell, Keith Belleville, Marcus Donald, Robert Glendinning, Bob Ford, Jan McGlasson, GaryMillie, David Paterson, Greg Small, John Small, Mike Todd, Colin Watt and Stuart Whiteford; follow spots: Allan Graham and Robert Wilson; lighting operator: Stephen Cox; sound installation and control: Ian Cunningham; calls: Ruaridh Robb; make-up: Aileen Borthwick and Adrianne Robb assisted by Claire Bell, Keith Belleville, Anne Giegerich, Pam Graham, Ena Henderson and Cheryl Oliphant; and backstage assistants: Hayley Cleaver and Helen Glendinning.