Setting up camp in the Church Hill Theatre, the American High School Theatre Festival are performing over 20 shows during this year's Fringe, from Sondheim to Suess and A Midsummer Night’s Dream with a Gotham twist, their programme could not be broader. Slotting nicely into their vast spectrum of musicals contemporaries and comedies is The Addams Family: A New Musical
Blooming into adolescence, a once stern and pessimistic Wednesday Addams has found herself engaged to, and very much in love with Lucas Beineke. However, this union must last through dinner at the Addams family home. With the assistance of her father, Wednesday and Lucas attempt to hide the good news from the rest of the cohort, resulting in a disastrous party game, which makes charades seem appealing.
Using only a projector and the bodies of the recently risen ancestors, director and choreographer Janine Papin has successfully created a very minimalist production that still contains a wealth of visual quality. This is sadly let down by the aural quality of the quiet, tin can backing track which replaces a live band, and the lack of vocal enhancement for the cast.
Although most of the cast pushed their lungs to the limit, with special mention to the outstanding performances of Tony Moreno as Gomez and Rachael Pisarski as Wednesday Addams, many voices were lost to the rear of the stage.
Offering such a broad range of stage shows, the AHSTF should have something to suit all tastes, if only they’d turn up the volume.
Times: 8 Aug: 6.15pm, 9 Aug: 10.15am
Tickets: £5