By Alabama H-F, Front of House

The Addams Family Musical has created an exciting and busy start to the Autumn Term. It’s the perfect way to get people from all year groups involved in various aspects of theatre. We had the opportunity to interview some of the many people involved in the production.

Why was The Addams Family chosen as this year’s production?

Mrs Moore:

In terms of choosing The Addams Family, it was completely new to me as a musical. I only knew of The Addams Family old 1960s Tv shows and the early 1990s film versions of the story. I was introduced to it by Ms Dunne and Ms Goodsell, and loved the musical score, hilarious characters and heartfelt message of the piece. Regardless of its apparent macabre and dark appearance, this is a musical which celebrates difference, the importance of family, and love in all its guises. It is also brilliant fun!

How have you found rehearsals for the play?

Zoe (Gomez Addams):

Being involved in our production of The Addams Family Musical is definitely the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done! I’ve deepened friendships with everyone involved, cast and crew, and noticed that I’ve got a lot in common with my friends in the other years I never knew before, like how much my onstage brother loves drama! We’ve been especially fortunate to have worked with an external choreographer, and a former student, on the group musical numbers and these experiences were great fun and very helpful. We’ve also luckily got brilliant dancers within the cast and stage management whose input was vital. One of my favourite things about the whole process is how welcoming the rehearsal environment has been; I knew that Mrs Moore’s directorial style is very much a collaborative one and it has been wonderful to see how supportive everyone has been of one another’s ideas that have been introduced, and how cast members in the lower years have felt comfortable suggesting ideas to explore as well as my older peers. The rehearsal schedule has been quite intense since the start of September, since we knew we would only have 9 weeks of school to piece together the performance, but there’s nothing I’d rather spend my time doing.

Tell me about working as Head of Set this year.

Olivia (Head of set):

After being on the set team since year nine, I found this year’s set to be the hardest to work on. This year we have decided to use a revolve stage as well as having a truck (a stage on wheels), providing our team with extra logistical challenges, unlike previous years. It has completely changed the way our team operates making our rehearsals and planning much harder than usual, however it allows for many sets to be used creating a more immersive experience. Other large set pieces like the tree took a lot of planning and many nights of papier-mâché which really allowed our team to bond with other departments, mainly stage management and props. Some of my favourite memories were singing along to the songs backstage and working hard in the workshop with lots of the crew. This year’s production has been a challenging yet rewarding experience as it is my first year of being a head of department and I can’t wait to do set next year.

Which piece are you most excited to perform for the play?

Zara T (Part of the Orchestra)

Although it’s probably expected for me to say the main Addams Family theme, it’s actually a piece called ‘Full Disclosure’, because out of all the pieces played by the orchestra, it is the most difficult and therefore interesting to play. Keeping in mind we have to practice these pieces quite often, it’s more enjoyable to play pieces that are more challenging, it also gives me an opportunity to improve my skills. A close second however, is ‘When you’re an Addams’.

What’s different about working on the play this year, compared to others?

Vysali (Head of Set)

This year is so different compared to previous plays mainly due to the fact that there are fewer sets to make, however the set pieces are incredibly large and detailed, like for example, so far in set and scenery the crew have been working on a massive 6ft ½ tree made of a wire structure and a paper mache shell. The play looks to be very set heavy and detailed this year, with things like a revolve stage, a truck and also a third alternative stage in the form of a three sided shipping container, with most of the advancements in the sets to be made during get-in night. Also considering the state of the world for the past year and a half, we haven’t really had the chance to interact with the younger years, so working in set has given me a chance to socialize with Year 9’s and Year 10’s in a way that I usually would not. So far, it has been easy sailing collaborating with the different years, with a range of people from different years. Additionally, there wasn’t really a big inter-school collaboration for the House of Bernarda Alba, due to the Covid-19 restrictions so it is nice to get back involved in the play again, back and better than ever.

What sort of leadership opportunities has the musical presented?

Melisa (Deputy Front of House)

Having a role in the Front of House team has been such an incredible experience this year! Our main roles backstage were creating the programme as well as welcoming and serving the guests prior to the start of the show and during the interval. The theme of  The Addams Family has definitely heightened the experience as we were able to transform the atrium into a spooky themed space, meanwhile dressing up ourselves in order to heighten the experience for the guests. ‘Get In’ night was a chance for our department to bond and finalise our plans, creating an unforgettable experience which I cannot wait to be a part of again next year!

Coming to see The Addams Family would make a great evening out because what better representation of the combined talents and efforts across the whole school is there, than the school play. It is a guaranteed evening of incredible acting, high standard production and excellent quality scenery. An engaging experience for all ages, The Addams Family looks to be the event of the term!

To order tickets, please go to ParentPay where you can select tickets for your preferred performance dates, choosing adult or concession prices as appropriate.

Thursday 18th, Friday 19th and Saturday 20th November 2021

Performances start at 7.00 PM.

Refreshments served in the Atrium from 6.15pm.