Harriet Rothwell-Inch
Impact’s Harriet Rothwell-Inch – this year’s self-proclaimed Musicality Correspondent – interviews Assistant Producer Alex Jones, and cast members Eliana Dickinson (Morticia Addams) and Freya Martin (Ancestor) to find out more about their upcoming SOLD-OUT production of ‘The Addams Family: The Musical’ (da da da da *click click*).
How would you describe the vibes in rehearsals? Are you all enjoying the rehearsal process?
F: “The vibes in rehearsals are always so positive! Both the team and cast have such close connections and the rehearsal process has led to me making some incredible friends. The rehearsals are a massive time commitment, but being in such a friendly environment makes long rehearsal weekends so much easier to get through. I am enjoying myself more than I ever imagined I would.”
E: “The rehearsal process has been one of the main reasons why I’ve enjoyed every single moment of putting on the Addams Family. Everyone in the cast and team have been so supportive and positive, the vibes are unmatched.”
What’s been your most rewarding moment so far?
E: “The most rewarding moment up to now for me has been finishing a full run through and seeing that our Musical Director had burst into tears (of joy!). Seeing everything come together and having that sort of reaction from a member of team was so rewarding.”
A: “Definitely the first full run. The singing was impeccable (like always), and it felt finally like everything was coming together and that all the work team has put in paid off. I also love the choreography so much, so seeing it all being done with the singing also at a high level is incredible.”
F: “I have never been much of a dancer and have always found learning choreography very difficult, but as an Ancestor, our roles are very dance heavy. I surprise myself in each dance rehearsal with how much quicker I have become at picking up choreography. My most rewarding moment has been branching out and dancing in so many different styles, especially tap. I had never worn a pair of tap shoes in my life prior to this show!”
I’ve heard excellent things about costumes…how is all the behind-the-scenes work going? (You can talk about set design, costumes, lighting…anything!)
A: “It’s been a long process! I’ve taken charge of lighting and set design alongside a few helpers from crew and wow has that been fun! We had a props making social and seeing the whole company assisting my stupid and unrealised ideas for set and allowing them to become a reality was so cool. I feel like I’ve really added something special to this incredible show! Also, the costume and makeup team are so incredible and the cast look so good!”
What makes your version of Addams the best in your opinion?
A: “A lot of our creative choices really set apart this production from others, especially in the direction; Ella is so damn creative. My favourite example has to be making the character of Alice Beineke a closet bisexual who is enthralled by Morticia – I think it’s genius and is so funny on stage! The singing is the best you’ve ever heard from a Musicality show, there are at least 5 different styles of dancing, including kickline, tap, jazz, ballet and tango, and the cast kill it every time. Every element in this show was super tricky for the creatives to pull off well and they have smashed it!”
F: “There are so many things that make our show amazing! The script itself is hilarious but the cast makes it a million times funnier – getting through rehearsals without laughing is a challenge. There’s never a dull moment and our amazing makeup and costume team have really brought the characters to life and have them a cohesive look.”
E: “It’s hard to not be biased, but knowing how much work everyone’s put in to make this show so amazing is for sure one of the main reasons why our version is best.”
Without giving too much away, which part of the show is your favourite, either to watch or perform (or both)?
A: “The first dance number, which is just the female ancestors and Morticia (Secrets), is forever my favourite. I first saw it in the dance auditions and was like ‘wow’. I know the one male ancestor is very much wishing he could dance in that number! I just really think it sets the tone for the show so well and is a super fun number for the band too!”
F: “This is such a hard question to answer because there is so much of the show that I love! A standout moment for me has to be the number at the end of act 1, Full Disclosure. The song is so much fun to perform because of the catchy tune and some amazing harmonies towards the end. It’s a super dramatic first act finale and will 100% get the audience laughing!”
E: “There hasn’t been a run through yet where I haven’t laughed multiple times during the ending scene of Act 1. Every character is so funny in their own way, and this particularly is shown here.”
How does it feel to know that the show SOLD OUT?
A: “Genuinely I’m a bit in awe. I think we ended up selling about 30-40% of all tickets last week, which is just mental. More than anything, I’m so pleased for our creative team and cast. This show really is amazing and having three full audiences really makes the show the best it can be, hopefully we’ll have an electric atmosphere every night!”
F: “I’m so excited that we have a sell-out show! The cast, crew, team and band have all worked so hard to put together such an amazing show and I’m so excited that all our hard work will be seen by so many people. We are all so thankful for everyone who bought tickets and has shown their continued support for us and this show, it has given us even more motivation to put on the best performance possible!”
E: “It’s so exciting that our show is lucky enough to have sold out and have so many people coming to see it! But it’s also a little nerve-wracking knowing that we have completely full audiences each time we perform.”
Harriet Rothwell-Inch
Featured image courtesy of Gwen King via Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes made to this image.
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