Upstagers opens the crypt doors at the King’s Hall this July for a frighteningly funny summer musical.
Something deliciously dark is stirring in Ilkley this July as Upstagers Theatre Group brings The Addams Family, A New Musical Comedy to the King’s Hall. The gloriously ghoulish musical will run from Wednesday 8th to Saturday 11th July 2026, with five performances including a Saturday matinee.
At the heart of the show is a family dilemma that almost every parent will recognise - albeit with a few more crossbows, potions and ancestral ghosts than usual. Wednesday Addams has fallen in love with Lucas Beineke, a sweet and entirely “normal” young man from Ohio. She wants just one ordinary dinner in which the two families can meet. But when an Addams family dinner involves secrets, an unsettling game of Full Disclosure and a moon-struck Uncle Fester, keeping things normal proves to be a very tall order.
Packed with humour, big musical numbers, striking choreography and the irresistible eccentricity audiences expect from The Addams Family, the production combines gothic glamour with a warm, funny story about love, growing up and learning to let people change.
The cast is dripping with amazing local talent led by audience favourites Mike Riley as the passionate Gomez Addams, Bethany Gregory as the glamorous Morticia, Emily Brook as Wednesday and Alex Wright as Lucas. They are joined by Ralph Smeaton as Pugsley, Landon Crowther as Uncle Fester, Emma Victoria Smith as Grandma, Sarah Huby as Alice Beineke and Mike Smith as Mal. Tom Booth cuts a striking figure as the unforgettable Lurch, alongside a 16-strong ensemble of The Addams Family Ancestors from across the centuries.
Co-director Andrew Hewitt says:
“The Addams Family is a perfect fit for a summer night at the King’s Hall. Underneath all the gothic glamour, it is a brilliantly funny story about parents trying to hold on, children growing up and the glorious chaos of attempting to be normal for one evening. We have an exceptional company, fantastic music and a bold, theatrical world for the audience to step into.”
Audiences can expect a full live sound, dramatic visual storytelling, fabulous costumes and plenty of the wit, warmth and weirdness that have made The Addams Family one of the most loved families in popular culture.
Co-director John Clark adds:
“The Addams Family is a joyful, stylish and very funny night out for anyone who enjoys great songs, big comedy and a little darkness. We want audiences to leave the theatre having laughed a lot, have songs stuck in their heads on the way home and felt that, perhaps, being a little different is something worth celebrating.”
As a local theatre charity, Upstagers’ productions help to support its continuing work with performers of all ages and its youth theatre opportunities in the Ilkley area.
Tickets for The Addams Family are priced from £12, with standard tickets at £20 and are available at www.upstagers.org.uk/boxoffice
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