Coffee & a Chat: Joanne Clifton

Coffee & a Chat

Here, we caught up with Strictly Come Dancing star Joanne Clifton ahead of her performance as Morticia in The Addams Family at Norwich Theatre Royal in April.

Joanne Clifton

Everyone’s favourite kooky family takes to the stage this April as the spectacular musical comedy The Addams Family comes to Norwich.

Used to a dazzling array of costumes on Strictly, professional actress, dancer and singer Joanne Clifton will be donning black in the lead role of family matriarch Morticia.

What do audiences have in store?

‘It’s a feel-good, fun, laugh-out loud family show,’ says Joanne. ‘Audiences know the characters, they know the world of The Addams Family from the TV show and films but there are some surprises in store. And it’s really, really funny. The feel-good factor is something people are craving after what everyone’s been through.’

There’s no doubt that these past two years have been very difficult for people in the arts world.

So how did Joanne keep busy in lockdown?

‘How long have you got?’ laughs Joanne. ‘Me, Katya Jones from Strictly and my friend Sasha Latoya created an online motivational course called The Beyond Lockdown Empire, which went so well we turned it into a book. I continued working on a musical I’m writing with Ben Adams called Bloody Nora. I also did dance classes on Zoom, podcasts, lots of things - I kept myself really busy because I’m not good at taking time off.’

It must be an amazing feeling to be back on stage in front of a live audience.

‘I can’t wait for the buzz of having a live audience again,’ says Joanne. ‘I love film acting as well but the live aspect of theatre for me is so thrilling - the fact that anything could go wrong at any point, or that someone could do something different on stage and you have to react to it, or how audiences react to different things in different parts of the country.’

Morticia is such an iconic character. How will you put your own stamp on it?

‘When I get a job I do watch the films or any kind of footage from the show twice maximum, then I don’t watch it anymore,’ says Joanne. ‘I get a feel for the character, then I leave it because I want to do my

own version of it. I did Thoroughly Modern Millie but I’m never going to be Julie Andrews, I did The Rocky Horror Show but I’m never going to be Susan Sarandon, and I’m not going to be Carolyn Jones from The Addams Family TV shows or Anjelica Huston from the movies.’

Does she feel she has anything in common with Morticia herself?

‘I am a Scorpio so I could maybe have a dark side but it doesn’t come out very often,’ says Joanne. ‘The main thing we have in common is a fierce love and protection of family, but I don’t think she likes to sit at home playing with Slime or doing jigsaw puzzles in her spare time, whereas I do.

The show is full of great musical numbers. What’s your favourite?

‘Death Around the Corner. Morticia is so dark and Gothic and she has this big Broadway number about death,’ says Joanne. ‘I think it’s fabulous.’ and we loved the movies,’ says Joanne. ‘I’m a big fan and I was so happy when I got this job I even did a painting of Morticia.’

The Addams family began life as a cartoon in the 1930s, became a TV show in the 1960s, a film franchise in the 1990s and a musical in the noughties. Why do you think it has endured for so long?

‘It’s fun to see this family who are not the happy-go-lucky Disneyworld-ish model American family,’ says Joanne. ‘They’re not typical in any way and it’s really fun to watch how they behave compared to your average TV or movie family.’

Life on the road can be tiring. What’s the one thing you wouldn’t be without?

‘I take a jigsaw puzzle to every venue,’ says Joanne. ‘If I manage to finish it I give it to one of the dressers if they want it. If I don’t finish it I dismantle it and take it to the next venue to have another go at it.’

The Addams Family is on at Norwich Theatre Royal from April 26th-30th.

Photos: Pamela Raith