Based on the hit 2001 ‘Best Animated Feature Film’ Academy Award winner and much-loved family favourite, Shrek the Musical is back entertaining audiences across the country. Shrek follows the story of an anti-social, highly territorial ogre whose peaceful swamp and solitude is disrupted by the overbearing ruler, Lord Farquaad when he attempts to banish a gaggle of fairy tale creatures from the land of Duloc. In a bargain for his swamp, Lord Farquaad challenges Shrek, and his newly self-appointed sidekick, Donkey to embark on a quest to rescue a princess from the “highest room in the tallest tower”. It is then that we meet Princess Fiona – a loud mouth, highly energetic and certainly far from your classic, princess. As the trio embark on their journey, Fiona hides a dark secret and we soon find out that she and Shrek have more in common than they think.
Antony Lawrence leads the 23-strong cast as the beloved Shrek. Lawrence’s vocals are well showcased in this role, particularly in more vulnerable numbers such as ‘When Words Fail’. He is complimented well by his co-stars, particularly Clifton, who enhance the contrast we see in the character as the story progresses. Lawrence delivers Shrek’s iconic lines and of course, Scottish twang effortlessly.
Strictly Come Dancing’s Joanne Clifton delights as Princess Fiona. Her comedic timing, physicality and characterisation bring a refreshing energy from the moment we meet her half-way through Act 1 in ‘I Know It’s Today’. Clifton opens Act 2 with the highly energetic dance number, ‘Morning Person’ featuring a slick Pied Piper (Jonathan David Dudley) and ensemble of glittering tap dancing rats. She approaches Fiona’s vulnerability in her ‘ogre-form’ with ease, showing contrast to her earlier feisty, boisterous princess demeanour. Clifton’s chemistry with Lawrence is beautiful to watch and the pair complement each other well – this was showcased during ‘I Think I Got You Beat’ – a number where Shrek and Fiona attempt to ‘out-do’ each other’s flatulence.
James Gillan stars as the deliciously evil, Lord Farquaad. Unlike previous productions of the musical, Gillan’s Farquaad was reimagined. Instead of having the actor playing Farquaad on his knees with ‘puppet’ legs to depict his short stature that is mocked throughout the show (and in the original film), Gillan appears of average stature and is able to move freely around the stage in this overly camp, comedic interpretation of the character. Whilst Gillan certainly excels in this role, it does feel that the creative team abandoned one slightly problematic portrayal and stereotype for another. Subsequently, certain jokes do fail to land.
Brandon Lee Sears excels as Donkey – a well-loved character that the children (and adults alike) in the audience visibly sat up in their seats for, as soon as he made his first entrance. With effortless physicality (occasionally moving on all-fours), strong comedic timing and silky smooth vocals, Sears is the perfect contrast to Lawrence’s Shrek.
Paired well with Sears, Cheree Richards as Dragon steals the show in Act 1 with her show-stopper, ‘Forever’. Having both the physical appearance of the actor portraying Dragon feature on stage in eye-catching, purple sparkly armour plus the appearance of a dragon puppet (operated by ensemble members: Garbiela Gregorian, Remi Ferdinand and Jessica Lim) certainly elevated the number in this production. Richards commands the stage with ease and her powerhouse vocals were met with rapturous applause.
Like any show, it is not complete without its ensemble. The ensemble in Shrek take on multiple roles in their stride, simultaneously portraying multiple fairy-tale creatures, Duloccitizens, tap dancing rats and puppeteers for characters such as Dragon and Gingy. Particular stand-outs from the ensemble include Mark D’arcy as Pinocchio and Georgie Buckland as Gingy, who demonstrated excellent vocals and outstanding characterisation throughout. Ensemble numbers such as ‘Story of My Life’ and ‘Freak Flag’ are highlights of this production, with pitch perfect group vocals and energetic choreography by Nick Winston and Libby Watts.
The book by David Lindsay-Abaire follows the well-known film but without feeling tied to it, with freedom for some fresh comedic moments, however, iconic lines still appear and continue to delight audiences both young and old. Music by Jeanine Tesori (‘Fun Home and Caroline or Change’) features strong ensemble numbers and exceptional character pieces,however, there is a feeling of imbalance between act 1 and act 2, where ballads seem more prominent in the latter causing the pace to suffer slightly.
Set and Costume Design by Philip Witcomb play a huge part in this show. Multiple costumes worn by both principals and ensemble are eye-catching, detailed and enhance character and physicality for the cast. Set design is slick, however, use of projections and videos fail to match up to the atmosphere created by physical set pieces. Lighting Design by Ben Cracknell is a particular highlight and enhanced numbers such as ‘Make A Move’. Fiona’s transformation was complimented well with the use of Cracknell’s lighting vision and added the element of fairy-tale magic to the show.
Overall, Shrek the Musical takes the story that we all know and love and adds some catchy tunes and fabulous costumes, whilst not detracting from the original message of the film (and continues to prove that farts – no matter what your age – are still funny!). It is a show that will appeal to fans of the film, both young and old and will be sure to have you up on your feet for the finale, ‘I’m A Believer’.
Shrek The Musical plays at His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen until Saturday 16th September 2023.
Get your tickets here – https://www.aberdeenperformingarts.com/whats-on/shrek-the-musical/
Theatre Scotland 
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