Snap your fingers and pull up a chair! We sat down with three stars from Sound Ideas’ upcoming production of The Addams Family, James Bell (Lurch), Emmie Wright (Wednesday), and Rowena Croston-Clegg (Grandma), ahead of their run at the Norwich Theatre Playhouse from 30 Sep to 4 Oct. To talk stilt-walking, secret potions, and who in the cast is actually an Addams in disguise.
Tell us a little bit about you.
James: I have a BA (Hons) in Drama and English from the University of Lincoln, and have been performing with several theatre companies in Norwich for the last few years.
Emmie: I’ve grown up surrounded by musical theatre and music and was fortunate that my parents introduced me to dance lessons at a very young age. Ever since, I’ve jumped at any opportunity to perform locally in an array of plays, musicals, concerts, scare-acting and even stilt performing.
Rowena: I’m Rowena, 44 year old Mum with two kids, one husband, one dog and a very cute cat!
Tell us a bit about the show and your character.
James: The Addams Family musical is a quirky black comedy which places the endearingly weird Addams clan in a most unusual situation. I play Lurch, the faithful butler to the Addams Family. He is privy to all the family’s secrets, and though he doesn’t exactly speak, his looming zombie-like figure gives him a strong presence.
Emmie: The story follows the ‘slightly’ dysfunctional Addams Family in all their glory as my character, Wednesday, falls in love with Lucas, a boy from a “normal” family.
Rowena: This show follows the Addams Family through a turbulent time as they learn to navigate situations they’ve never faced before. I play Grandma, a slightly batty old woman who seems to be equal parts crazy and compassionate.
What should we expect?
James: This musical is a wonderful blend of dark humour and genuine warmth. The songs are fun and catchy, the script is witty and clever, and the story carries a heartfelt message.
Emmie: An abundance of dark humour, some familiar finger-clicking tunes and some hilarious turns of events.
Rowena: This show has some beautiful sentimental moments as well as some laugh-out-loud silliness. Come ready for a spirit-lifting experience. Get it? Spirit, ghost. Never mind.
What is your favourite song in the show?
James: I have two… the opening number, ‘When You’re An Addams’, because it catapults you straight into the story and sets up the titular family, and the finale, ‘Move Toward The Darkness’, because it gives Lurch his long-awaited moment in the spotlight!
Emmie: Full Disclosure. It brings Act 1 to a close in the most hilarious way possible, and it’s always a joy to watch it unravel.
Rowena: I think my favourite song has to be ‘One Normal Night’. Wednesday wants one normal night, and as I have a teenager, I know how important getting their own way is! So tread carefully around Wednesday, or who knows what will happen.
Best moment in rehearsals?
James: I’m wearing 18-inch-high stilts to play Lurch, and one of my standout moments was during our early rehearsals when the cast first got to see me at full height. It’s quite the experience to be head-and-shoulders above everyone else in the room literally.
Emmie: The photoshoot was a fantastic opportunity to see characters and families properly come together. Especially considering one person in the cast had to completely shave off his hair to achieve his look.
Rowena: My favourite moment so far would be when we all got our costumes for the first time. It was such fun seeing how we all looked as a family.
Do you have any pre-show rituals?
James: I always make myself a lemon & ginger tea before a show to help look after my voice. It’s been very important for this show in particular, as Lurch is a bass and has to consistently hit all his low notes.
Emmie: Plenty of water, a nice warm-up, and if I have any bigger/higher vocal notes to hit in the show, I tend to run them a few times as well.
Rowena: I have something that I always say when beginners are called, but if I told you, you’d have to drink one of my potions.
Spooky and kooky round
If Gomez and Morticia invited you to dinner, what strange dish are you bringing?
James: I think I would turn the tables on them and prepare a Sunday roast – quite normal to me, but probably very strange to the Addamses!
Emmie: Something undoubtedly shot by Wednesday’s crossbow.
Rowena: I’d bring slugs and snails and puppy dog tails with a side of coleslaw.
Which cast member is most likely actually to be an Addams Family relative in real life?
James: Leo Oakley, who plays Uncle Fester in our show – he embodies the role so completely; I wouldn’t be surprised if he actually had ties to the Addamses.
Emmie: Leo (playing Fester)… not many words needed, but if you take the time to meet him after the show, I’m sure you’ll find out why.
Rowena: Probably James, who plays Lurch. He has many characters up his sleeve.
Would you survive a night in The Addams Family home?
James: Absolutely! I’d stay up late and haunt the corridors, dressed in a bedsheet to look like a ghost.
Emmie: Judging by the fact that I hate being scared, I’m going to say probably not.
Rowena: Absolutely. Spooky is groovy!
Don’t miss Sound Ideas presents the Addams Family at Norwich Theatre Playhouse between 30 Sep – 4 Oct. For more information or to book, visit norwichtheatre.org or call the Box Office on 01603 630 000.
