‘Shrek the Musical’ tells the familiar tale of the much-loved ogre Shrek and his quest to regain his swamp from a gaggle of fairytale creatures after they are banished from the Kingdom of Duloc by its tyrannical ruler Lord Farquaad. Accompanied by an annoying talking donkey, Shrek bargains with Lord Farquaad and they reach an agreement that if Shrek rescues the desirable Princess Fiona from her dragon-guarded tower, he will regain his land and his privacy. Shortly after rescuing Princess Fiona Shrek discovers that they have much more in common than he initially thought: it is is revealed that she too is an ogre, transforming every night at sunset due to a terrible curse that was placed upon her as a child. There is only one thing that can break the curse: true love’s first kiss, of course. ’Shrek the Musical’ is a love story that celebrates difference and it is sure to enchant anyone that comes to see it.
In Captivate Theatre’s production of ‘Shrek the Musical’ the role of Shrek is played by kilt-wearing Kerr McKinlay. Shrek is a big role to take on, as it is a character that is so well-loved by many, and unfortunately, McKinlay’s performance as Shrek was rather medi-ogre (pardon the pun). McKinlay has a good voice but at times when he is singing Shrek loses his Scottishness. This happens particularly in the song ‘Big Bright Beautiful World’, in which McKinlay is guilty of putting on a ‘musical theatre voice’ which makes him sound rather American, especially when singing the word ‘world’. This may seem like a petty thing to criticise but as Shrek’s overt Scottishness is a big part of his character it catches you off guard and diminishes McKinlay’s believability as Shrek. At times McKinlay also struggled to enunciate when singing, meaning that some of what he was saying got lost, which is an issue when the story is told partly through song. If ‘Shrek’ was not such a well-known story this could create a bigger problem. Shrek is a pretty dynamic character, and his transformation from closed-off grumpy ogre with a fear of rejection to open-hearted hero is one that McKinlay unfortunately failed to portray effectively. McKinlay is not a bad actor by any means, but his approach is wrong for this kind of show. His acting is naturalistic, but for a show like this he really needs to dial it up a good few notches in order to build a more convincing character.
Lewis Kerr gives a fantastically endearing performance as the annoying yet lovable Donkey. Kerr is a great comedic actor with impeccable timing and he boasts a surprisingly powerful voice, which is sultry and has an almost supple, velvet-like quality when he is singing in a minor key.
When Princess Fiona, played by Yna Tresvalles said “Welcome to Fiona the Musical” she really wasn’t kidding. Tresvalles dominates the stage as Princess Fiona, giving a powerful and captivating performance. She perfectly captured the nuance of Princess Fiona’s character, singing “I am sweetness, I am bratty, I’m a princess, I’m a fatty/I’m a mess of contradictions in a dress”. Tresvalles really grabbed the role of Princess Fiona with both hands and made it her own. She displays incredible vocal control, her voice capable of being both powerful and soft in equal measure.
Oliver Payn gives a satisfactory performance as Lord Farquaad but he is guilty of the same sin as McKinlay—he just doesn’t take it far enough. His main fault is in his one-note delivery, however his commitment to performing on his knees for the entire two-hour show is something that must be commended.
Colum Findlay puts the ‘drag’ in Dragon—their performance as this character was absolutely fabulous. Findlay puts a sexy, sassy spin on the character which becomes one of the standout performances of the show. Their voice is simply to die for and they demonstrate excellent control of their vocals, notably when performing a multitude of vocal slides.
This production of ‘Shrek the Musical’ features a fifteen-strong ensemble who all deserve praise for their contribution to the show. Stanislavsky’s phrase ‘there are no small parts, only small actors’ springs to mind, as every single member of this ensemble contribute to the success of the show, even those in non-speaking roles. The ensemble are an undeniably talented bunch with incredible voices. Even with such a large ensemble they are consistently on-key and their energy throughout the entire performance is palpable, however especially so in ‘What’s Up, Duloc?’ and ‘Freak Flag’. Honourable mentions go to Ailish Barry as Gingy, Eilidh Sanderson as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Jen Cassidy as Pinocchio and Mackenzie Wilcox as Witch. Barry gives a hilarious performance as snivelling Gingy whilst Sanderson is a sheer joy to watch as the Sugar Plum Fairy, her dedication to her character consistently visible throughout her performance. Cassidy nails the voice and her delivery as Pinocchio whilst Wilcox’s sulky performance as Witch was thoroughly entertaining.
One of the best features of this production is undeniably the live band, directed by John Hodgson. The band did an absolutely fantastic job and added a huge amount to the production value and overall atmosphere of the show. Director Sally Lyall and choreographer Dannielle Logan also deserve a mention, as blocking and choreographing such a big cast on such a small stage must have been no easy feat.
Charlotte Nicholson and Mairi Cross did a fantastic job of somehow not making a cast of fairytale creatures look panto-esque. Honourable mentions for costuming go to Lord Farquaad and Dragon. The addition of Farquaad’s little legs gained lots of laughter from the audience and was effectively comical every time Payne exited the stage. However, Findlay’s Dragon costume really takes the cake. Composed of a headpiece, a tail, large bat-like wings (manoeuvred by ensemble members), a corset and fishnets, this costume was the best reveal of the show. You could really tell that the audience were in awe of this costume, and as a result Dragon’s big number ‘Donkey Pot Pie’ was one of the most memorable and enjoyable parts of the whole production. The volume of high-standard quick costume changes was also extremely impressive and one can only imagine the hard work that must have gone on backstage to ensure that these ambitious changes were possible.
One thing that this production really lacked was set, instead of traditional flats favouring to use empty wooden crates that were maneuvered around the stage by ensemble members. Whilst this must have taken a fair bit of time to orchestrate, the set was only really effective at two points in the show: when the crates form a castle and a bridge formation. Whilst this artistic decision was probably made due to the small stage-large cast dynamic and to make things simpler in regard to setting the stage for the following show, it was slightly disappointing and felt half-baked.
Captivate Theatre’s ‘Shrek the Musical’ is an extremely impressive production for an amateur theatre company. The entire cast deliver a high-energy and fun performance that makes for a delightful afternoon at the Rose Theatre. As a huge fan of the 2001 DreamWorks Animation movie, it was hard not to compare the stage version to the screen version, but ‘Shrek the Musical’ exceeded my expectations. The best thing about this production is the sheer passion and energy that the actors on stage exude—you could really tell how much genuine fun they were having, which in turn rubbed off on the audience. As the audience began to filter out of the auditorium accompanied by the final song, ’I’m a Believer’ (originally by The Monkees), I looked around to see an audience full of smiling faces. A joyous atmosphere radiated throughout the theatre, affecting both children and adults alike. Although this show is borderline pantomime at points, make no mistake—this is a fun show with a positive message and is to be enjoyed by those of all ages, so come let your freak flag fly!
‘Shrek the Musical’ is running from the 18th-20th, 22nd-27th of August in Rose Theatre Edinburgh. Get your tickets from the link below:
Theatre Scotland 
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