Reviewer: Christine Stanton
Book & Lyrics: David Lindsay-Abaire
Music: Jeanine Tesori
“Exceeds Shrekpectations”
4 / 5
Shrek is a classic movie – loved by children and adults alike. The musical captures the original humour and fairytale fabulousness, while also sprinkling in some brilliant costumes, dazzling dance numbers and a catchy soundtrack.
The musical follows the exact same plot as the movie, but if you’re not familiar with the DreamWorks animation – Lord Farquaad is the ruler of fictional town Duloc and is the epitome of a cartoon villain. He banishes all the freaks, weirdos and fairytale creatures from his kingdom as he plots to find a wife and become King. The creatures wind up at Shrek’s swamp, where he’s been living for years in grumpy solitude. Desperate to get rid of everyone and reclaim his home, he negotiates with Lord Farquaad and agrees to rescue Princess Fiona from a dragon guarded tower so the two can wed, but as with any adventure, it isn’t as easy or as straightforward as it sounds.
Although the show as a whole is brilliant, with a wonderful cast – Cherece Richards, even with a relatively small part as the dragon, is an absolute showstopper. Her vocals during her solo song ‘Forever’ are impeccable and her presence automatically commandeers the stage. Donkey, played by Brandon Lee Sears is another stand out, as a fantastic comedic actor – his role is naturally full of sarcastic jokes and humorous observations, and he executes them flawlessly. Anthony Lawrence has the role of Shrek and thankfully does a great job of being centre-stage, showcasing all of the oniony layers that makes Shrek both gross and endearing.
The choreography by Nick Winston is polished to perfection. The rat tap dance during Joanne Clifton’s (Princess Fiona) rendition of ‘Morning Song’ is mesmerising, the long routine sleek, in sync and shrektacularly executed. Some of the best scenes come from when the majority of the cast are on stage – the final performance of ‘I’m A Believer’ gets everyone on their feet, singing and dancing along with the electric energy created by the cast. Another fun scene is when the ensemble band together to sing ‘Freak Flag’ – they capture the whimsical fairytale aspect perfectly, as everyone from Pinocchio (Mark D’Arcy) to the Big Bad Wolf (Scotty Armstrong) champions their characters individuality. Philip Witcomb (Costume & Set Design) ensures the costumes are glitzy and eye-catching, and although the set is quite stripped back, the projected locations really help to add a sense of distinction within each location.
This is a great shrekperience and translates brilliantly from screen to stage. While there was the initial apprehension that it could be a little bit too childish or ogre-the-top with toilet humour, instead this exceeds shrekpectations and does the original movie justice.
Runs Until 30 September 2023 then continues to tour
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