Youngsters Set to Stage Scary Musical for Halloween

The antics of a madcap macabre comic book family are being turned into a fun musical by youngsters at Sheringham Little Theatre.

A 40-strong cast of schoolchildren and college students aged eight to 18 are enjoying rehearsing a junior version of The Addams Family.

The plot sees downbeat teenage daughter Wednesday fall in love with a smart, normal boyfriend Lucas Beineke, whose respectable family have been invited to the Addams’ chaotic home for dinner with the undead weirdos who have lived there for centuries. What could possibly go wrong?

Director Katie Thompson said: “It’s a great show with all the quirks and characters of the original TV series, but in a slimmed down version with a new love story as Wednesday grows from a child to a teenager.

“It’s fantastic to see the youngsters bringing these kookie characters to life, and doing some brilliant singing.”

Katie, who directed the theatre’s musical theatre group autumn production last year, Annie, added that the show, which opens on October 28, is ideal for a family Halloween outing.

It has also attracted many new faces to the group from north Norfolk as well as some musical theatre students from Norwich City College including three 17-year-olds from the same year group who are playing major characters.

Wednesday is played by Paige Matthews from Cromer, who played Tallulah in her high school production of Bugsy Malone on the Pier. She is making her Little Theatre debut along with Darcie Nicholls, from Sprowston, who is Wednesday’s dark and moody mother Morticia – a role she did at Broadland High School two years ago.

Morticia’s flamboyant husband Gomez is played by group regular Corbyn Smith from Holt. Other key roles see Alfie Thomas as Wednesday’s little brother Pugsley, Fyfe Hall as Uncle Fester, and Stan Wolf as the family butler Lurch.

Musical director Phil Cornwell from Cromer said the show is “a timeless classic with superb music and songs.” It is also his first time working with the group, and extra special because his eight-year-old daughter Lyra is one of the cast, as an Addams ancestor.

The Addams characters first appeared in a 1930s comic strip in the New Yorker magazine. It was made into a TV series in the 1960s, a film in 1991and a musical in 2010.

The Addams Family Junior runs at Sheringham Little Theatre from October 28-31 at 6pm daily plus a 2pm Saturday matinee.

Get your tickets now.