Falkirk Town Hall to host first shows since pandemic with The Addams Family performances

The curtain at Falkirk Town Hall (FTH) will finally be raised once again this weekend as the venue stages a live show for the first time in 18 months.

Grangemouth-based Project Theatre has the honour of being the first organisation to perform in front of an audience at FTH since the coronavirus pandemic forced the global entertainment industry to close its doors in 2020.

With restrictions having eased enough for the venue to accommodate a capacity crowd, the performing arts group is bringing The Addams Family to town this Friday (7.30pm) and Saturday (2pm and 7.30pm).

Based on the all-time family favourite and written by those behind the multi-award-winning musical Jersey Boys, the audience can expect a wacky and spooky extravaganza.

Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family whom her parents have never met. She confides in her father and begs him not to tell her mother.

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 her parents.

Last year was the first since Project Theatre launched in 2008 that it was unable to put on a show at FTH.

Jamie O’Rourke, who founded the organisation, believes the 2021 showcase could well be its most successful yet.

He said: “We’ve done a show almost every year now at Falkirk Town Hall but with Covid we haven’t been able to do one for what feels like two years.

“Our auditions were online and then we went into lockdown. We’ve been rehearsing but it feels like the longest rehearsal ever!

“It was pretty difficult to start with but once we embraced Zoom we found we could rehearse a bit more in detail because we could work individually and went into break-out rooms and focused on the story and writing of the show, which I think better prepared us to tell it.

“I think this is going to be one of our best because the cast understand the story a lot more.

“We have 30 young people and a team of staff and volunteers of about 15, some are parents and youth volunteers.

“It’s got all the classic themes and fun from The Addams Family but it’s quite a modern story about Wednesday, the daughter. She’s found love and wants to go and live her own life.

“The big theme is around family and relationships. As well as it being dark, it’s got a lot of fun and topical references. It’s great for all ages.”

Naturally, Project Theatre and FTH have given full consideration to Covid protocols, with those in the crowd required to wear masks.

Jamie added: “It's the first show back in Falkirk Town Hall so we’re excited about that and nervous.

“It’s about the young people. They’ve worked so hard and it really would mean the world to them if people came to enjoy it.”

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