Altogether Ooky: Inside ‘The Addams Family Musical’ at Leichhardt’s Renewed Teatro
They’re creepy, they’re kooky, and they’re about to christen a brand-new stage. This spooky season, The Addams Family Musical will open at Leichhardt’s revitalised theatre Teatro at the Italian Forum.
Directed by Andrew Bevis, the Tony-nominated show promises a gothic twist on Charles Addams’ eccentric clan, while introducing Sydney audiences to rising local talent.
Building a stage for Sydney’s Inner West
Formerly the Actors Centre drama school, the Teatro is being reborn through a self-funded venture led by Bevis and his partner, choreographer Nathan M. Wright.
Their goal is accessibility. Affordable tickets, locally made productions, and opportunities for emerging artists through their THEatreBRIDGE program form the backbone of the project.
Meet the modern macabre in Addams Family
So why open with The Addams Family Musical? For Bevis, the answer is simple: it works. “I used to watch the TV series when I was a kid,” he recalls, excitement palpable.
The appeal, he says, is the blend of vaudeville style, gothic humour and recognisable characters: “It’s just very fun to watch these characters be put into a situation.”
Sydney’s staging adds its own twist. “We’re setting it in a Victorian gothic theatre,” Bevis reveals to CityHub. “It’s like the cast of the show know they’re performing the show for the audience like an old Victorian melodrama.”
His aim is clear: “I want audiences to feel transported.”
That extends to the music. Bevis, who previously worked with composer Andrew Lippa, admires how the score spans eras.
“There are nods to Fiddler on the Roof, vaudeville, jazz, rock. The younger characters have more of a pop feel, while Gomez and Morticia sing in those lush, classic styles. It sounds contemporary but it’s rooted in the golden age of Broadway.”
Bevis also stresses that Sydney audiences won’t be seeing the same show Broadway premiered. “The original was rewritten. Now it’s more about family dynamics like Wednesday keeping her engagement secret, Gomez hiding things from Morticia.
“Even though they’re gothic and unusual, the Addamses are actually very functional, with strong morals. The so-called ‘normal’ family are the ones falling apart.”
Wednesday grows up (but still tortures her brother)
For Darcy Martin, who plays Wednesday Addams, timing was everything. “I actually only discovered the Addams Family a couple years ago,” she admits with a laugh.
“I dressed up as Morticia for Halloween—then I went and watched the movies and just fell in love with it. When this opportunity came along, it was absolutely perfect.”
Unlike the deadpan child audiences may know, Martin’s Wednesday is all grown up. “In the musical, she’s secretly engaged, and her fiancé’s family is coming over. Nobody knows except the couple themselves,” she explains to CityHub.
That clash between the Addams’ gothic eccentricities and the Beineckes’ picket-fence normalcy drives much of the comedy.
“She’s in love for the first time… she’s exploring the world beyond her family while still torturing her brother onstage,” Martin laughs. “She definitely still sits on the dark side.”
Balancing that iconic deadpan with musical-theatre expression has been a challenge. “We tried so many different versions,” Martin says.
“She wouldn’t be a normal musical theatre character, but she also wouldn’t be the same deadpan kid. So it’s been about finding light and shade.”
Music, Martin says, gives Wednesday new depth. Her big number, Pulled, sees her wrestle with falling in love while literally pulling her brother on a torture table.
“She’s singing about discovering puppy dogs and Christmas Eve—things she’d never be excited by before—because of this boy,” Martin explains. “It’s that conflict between her family’s expectations and this new world.”
She also draws inspiration from past performances. “I’ve done a lot of research on every version of Wednesday out there,” Martin says, citing West End performer Carrie Hope Fletcher as a key influence.
“But it was important to create my own version too — not just copy and paste.”
For audiences familiar with Netflix’s Wednesday, Martin welcomes the comparison. “I love the TV show—and I play cello too, so that was perfect!” she says.
That spirit of exploration extends to the cast dynamic. “We truly are like a little family,” Martin says. “It’s been so lovely to work with my friends and have that relationship spill onto the stage.”
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Bevis agrees, “I love things that are ensemble pieces,” he says. “The talent, the working together—it’s like a jigsaw puzzle. The fun is seeing people go beyond what they thought they could do.”
What does Bevis hope audiences take away? Not just laughs and shivers, but belonging. “I want them to come out having had a great time together as a family or with their friends,” he says. “We want it to feel like a community.”
Martin agrees. “It’s a hilarious show, it’s silly, but it’s also layered— there’s something for everyone.”
In other words, come for the kooky and the spooky — but stay for the family values.
The Addams Family Musical opens in October at the Teatro Italian Forum, Leichhardt. Get all the info at teatroitalianforum.com.au.
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