HALLOWEEN has come early to Liverpool, thanks to the kookiest family ever who bring with them a helping of madcap comic capers and music.

The Addams Family - The Musical Comedy is a fiendish feast of fun and at more than two-and-a-half hours you certainly get value for money as we gate-crash one of the great all Amercan dysfunctional households.

The characters - like that other US hit The Munsters - are familiar to us after their respective 60s hit series, the film franchise and are now brought magically to life again on a UK stage tour.

The spooky clan, created by cartoonist Charles Addams, are fleshed out by Jersey Boys writers Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. The wide-ranging songs songs by Andrew Lippa fit well.

There is plenty of deliciously dark humour - but, surprisingly, there's a lot of romance ... in this morality tale of love, loyalty and friendship.

Wednesday Addams has fallen for a boy called Lucas and the action takes place around a 'meet the parents' scenario leading to all manner of visual gags and some genuinely laugh-out-loud moments.

At times the sentimentality does - oddly enough - overshadow the humour, but when they decide to go for it they do.

Cameron Blakely as dapper-dressed Gomez is in his element - a slick mixture of Ron Moody in Oliver! meets Groucho Marx at his wise-cracking best.

Strictly Come Dancing star Joanne Clifton as Morticia glides around as if she is on castors and when she dances the exotic Tango De Amor on the Live Before We Die medley with Gomez it provifdes one the oustanding moments of the show.

Uncle Fester acts as our narrator and Matt Slack does a fine job in the timing department. He has a lovely voice as shown on the whimsical The Moon and Me in which he serenades the love of his life.

The childern are top-notch too: Kingsley Morton as Wednesday and Grant McIntyre as Pugsley. They are aided in their eerie endeavours by Ryan Bennett as intimidating but fair Lurch and who can ever forget Carol Ball's grandma.

It is a time to let your hair down and let the silliness captivate you with a very hard working cast and ensemble pulling out all the stops.

Full marks to Alistair David's choreography - especially the ghouls from the crypt. And there's a monster contribution from the gutsy orchestra.

Globe verdict: Four Stars

Finger-clicking good!

The show is at the Liverpool Empire until Saturday. Tickets from 0844 871 7615