Samantha Womack, Les Dennis and Carrie Hope Fletcher will star as Morticia, Fester and Wednesday Addams in the UK & Irish premiere of THE ADDAMS FAMILY, a musical comedy, with book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, and music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, based on the characters created by Charles Addams.
Samantha Womack will take on the role of Morticia Addams fresh from leaving BBC1’s EastEnders after nearly a decade as Ronnie Mitchell. Samantha has also played Tanya Dawson for three series of the hit comedy Mount Pleasant (Sky1) and, on film she will be reprising her role next summer as Michelle Unwin in Kingsman: The Golden Circle. Her stage credits include Nellie Forbush in the Lincoln Center Theater’s Tony Award-winning production of South Pacific (Barbican Theatre & UK Tour), Michael Grandage’s West End production of Guys & Dolls opposite Patrick Swayze (Piccadilly Theatre) and Peter Hall’s production of Pinter’s Betrayal (Theatre Royal Bath).
Les Dennis spent the last three years playing burglar-turned-Romeo, Michael Rodwell, in ITV’s Coronation Street. Immediately prior to starring in THE ADDAMS FAMILY, he will appear at the Menier Chocolate Factory in the musical She Loves Me. Les’s other stage credits include the musicals Me & My Girl, Chicago, Monty Python’s Spamalot and Hairspray. He took a hit one-man play Jigsy, to the Edinburgh Fringe and, in 2016, produced and starred in the sell-out 40th anniversary production of Alan Bleasdale’s Down the Dock Road at the Royal Court Liverpool.
Carrie Hope Fletcher’s recent theatre credits include Eponine in Les Misérables (London and Dubai), Truly Scrumptious in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (UK & Ireland Tour), Beth in Jeff Wayne’s Arena Tour War of the Worlds, and Wind in the Willows (Regent‘s Park Open Air Theatre). In 2015, Carrie released her first book, All I Know Now: Wonderings and Reflections on Growing Up Gracefully, and her second book, On the Other Side, was released in July 2016.
Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and has a shocking secret that only Gomez knows; she’s fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family! Now, Gomez Addams must do something he’s never done before — keep a secret from his beloved wife, Morticia. Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday’s “normal” boyfriend and his parents. All the usual clan are present – Uncle Fester, Lurch, Pugsley et al.
Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice co-wrote the book for the multi award-winning Jersey Boys. Marshall wrote or co-wrote the film screenplays for Sleeper, Annie Hall, Manhattan, Manhattan Murder Mystery, For the Boys and Intersection, and was head writer for The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Rick’s play, Peter and the Starcatcher, received nine nominations and won five 2012 Tony Awards. Andrew Lippa wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musical, Big Fish, the music for the Broadway production of Aaron Sorkin’s play The Farnsworth Invention and the book, music and lyrics for the Drama Desk award-winning musical The Wild Party. He wrote the song called ‘Evil Like Me’, which was sung by Dove Cameron and Kristin Chenoweth in the 2015 Disney film Descendants.
The UK & Ireland Tour will be directed by Matthew White, who is currently directing She Loves Me at the Menier Chocolate Factory, where he also directed Candide, Sweet Charity (and West End) and Little Shop of Horrors (and West End). Other recent directing credits include the UK Tour of The Producers and the UK Tour and West End run of Top Hat. Choreography will be by Alistair David, who directed and choreographed Robbie Williams’s worldwide concert tour Swings Both Ways, and whose recent theatre credits include Two Noble Kinsmen (Royal Shakespeare Company), Show Boat (Sheffield Crucible Theatre and New London Theatre) and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre). The production will be designed by Diego Pitarch, with musical supervision by Richard Beadle, lighting design by Ben Cracknell and musical direction by Andrew Hilton.
THE ADDAMS FAMILY UK & Ireland Tour is produced by United Theatrical, Aria Entertainment and Music & Lyrics Limited, in association with the Festival Theatre Edinburgh, and is presented through special arrangement with Theatrical Rights Worldwide.
For further information, please visit www.theaddamsfamily.co.uk Twitter: @AddamsFamilyUK
The Addams Family is currently on in the Wales Millennium Centre until the 12th of August. Book at www.wmc.org.uk or call 029 2063 6464.
