Bah da da dum *snap snap*

Full Disclosure: torture is considered affection, screams are signs of satisfaction, and the inevitability of death is a source of comfort for the members of the Addams family. But don’t let that stop you from enjoying yourself, if it were possible! Director Suzanne Doyle-Yerxa brings the KV Players’ production of The Addams Family to life (I mean, death) as the cleverly choreographed (thanks to Courtney Arsenault) cast takes the audience into the weird workings of Wednesday’s love life.

While it may not be your typical setting, The Addams Family chronicles a pretty conventional moment in every love story – meeting the parents. Wednesday Addams (Riley Livingstone) and Luke Beineke (Michael McCracken) are in love. The last hurdle on their path to wedded bliss is their parents blessing, only they haven’t quite gotten around to telling them yet. But can you blame them?

It becomes clear quickly that while the kids may be in love, their families just aren’t going to see eye to eye. Gomez (Bertis Sutton) and Morticia (Charlotte Dort) are pleasantly perverse as they try their hardest to make Alice and Mal Beineke (Lisa Bizeau Hanson and CC Humphries respectively) feel at home. Unfortunately, their attempts at “normalcy” only seem to make the Beinekes even more uncomfortable.

But what could be more normal than troubles of the heart? Everywhere you turn, another bout of relationship drama ensues. Gomez is a glutton for punishment as he struggles to keep both daughter and wife happy; Pugsley (Luke Wiggins) acts out in his concern that Wednesday’s love life will put an end to their cherished torture sessions; Wednesday and Lucas are thrown by their families’ inability to get along; Alice and Mal are confronted by the lack of passion and honesty in their marriage; and the sweetly neurotic Uncle Fester (John Frank) is desperately in love with the moon.

Drinks, dinner, and an ill-administered dose of truth serum later, and Alice is livening things up to the horror of her emotionally withered husband. Biseau Hanson was clearly a crowd favourite as not one, but two, spontaneous bursts of applause erupted mid-sentence in support of her surges of potion-induced sassiness.

Sight gags, wry wit, and excellent comic timing keep the laughs coming as the audience willingly abandons reason for madness. The cast’s exceptional harmonies and dancing top off an altogether delightful performance.

Whether you are living, dead, or undecided, you are likely to have a raucous time.

KV Player’s The Addams Family runs August 5-7, 12-15 at 7:30PM at KVHS.