Letterkenny Musical Society are bringing The Addams Family back to An Grianan

“Ah, the intoxicating smell of the graveyard” - when these are the opening words of a show, you know that something different is in the works.

So it came to pass in March 2020 when the first COVID-19 shutdown closed An Grianan Theatre two nights into our run of The Addams Family.

Now, it’s time to go back to New York, and finish what we started as the world was changing irrevocably around us. From Tuesday, March 5, to Saturday, March 9, Letterkenny Musical Society brings The Addams Family back to An Grianan.

The 2010 musical is a stand-alone story featuring the family first created by cartoonist Charles Addams in 1938. Gomez and Morticia Addams live in a house in New York’s Central Park, along with their children Wednesday and Pugsley. Gomez’s brother Fester also lives with them, as does Granny and their butler, Lurch. Normal enough so far, but then we meet Cousin It, and dozens of the family’s ghostly ancestors, who are trapped in the physical world so they can help Wednesday through a crisis.

She is in love! Specifically, she’s secretly engaged to Lucas Beineke, the ‘normal’ son of a strait-laced couple from Ohio, whose lifestyle and attitude is a million miles away from what the Addams Family is used to. Wednesday wants the two families to meet, so she decides to invite them to dinner. However, she does so on the one day of the year in which all the Addams Family members gather in the graveyard to dance with their ancestors, as you do.

Wednesday tells Gomez about her engagement, but swears him to secrecy, believing that once the dinner is over, they can tell Morticia and she won’t, as Wednesday fears “ask a lot of embarrassing questions and ruin the whole thing”.

Needless to say, all does not go according to plan, and we find ourselves witnessing a summit which makes ‘Meet the Fokkers’ seem like a polite side meeting on the fringes of a UN convention. The situation isn’t helped by the fact that Morticia senses there’s something afoot and agrees to the dinner only on condition that they also play “The Game”, otherwise known as Full Disclosure.

Wednesday begs the family to allow her just One Normal Night, while Lucas makes the same plea to his parents Alice and Mal. We just sit back, knowing that sparks are bound to fly.

Set over the course of a single 24 hours, The Addams Family will take you through a roller coaster of emotions, accompanied by a host of belly laughs, some deliciously wicked one-liners, and a liberal helping of devilish puns.

This is Letterkenny Musical Society’s 23rd show in An Grianan Theatre and follows the huge success of Kinky Boots last year. Once again, Maria Rushe directs, bringing her unique vision to the stage with the support and guidance of Producer Noel O’Donnell, with superb choreography from Emmett Stewart and a full orchestra, conducted by Musical Director Gerard Bradley.

As ever, the cast is a mix of familiar faces and new talent. LMS is particularly proud and delighted to be bringing some new faces to the stage, while a number of old faces return, some for the 23rd time!

The Addams Family runs from Tuesday March 5 to Saturday March 9, with a matinee on Saturday afternoon. Tickets are available from the An Grianan Theatre Box Office, by calling 074 91 20777, or on the theatre’s website.