Once Upon a Time .... there was Shrek the Musical

Shrek

Shrek The Musical opened in Sydney at the weekend to a capacity audience of people who laughed themselves silly watching this very funny stage musical.

Shrek the Musical is based on the hugely popular 2001 computer-animated comedy film Shrek and the 1990 fairytale picture book Shrek by William Steig.

From the pages of a huge book coming to life on stage, it tells the romantic story of an Ogre falling in love with a Princess and the many adventures along the way. It is a hilarious musical that takes the audience to a land far far away. It is the ideal holiday amusement outlet for young and old alike.

Todd McKenney, Ben Mingay,
Lucy Durack, Nat Jobe, Marcia Hines

Shrek the lime green Ogre was banished to a swamp at the age of seven by his parents. The larger than life Shrek is played by the talented Ben Mingay, He has acted in movies, such as Hacksaw Ridge, TV shows such as House of Bond, Packed to the Rafters and Home and Away, and in stage shows. He played his part really well. It would not have been easy for him to move about the stage in his bulky costume. At first, I found it hard to understand the words of the songs he was singing, but after a while, I had come to understand his accented voice.

Shreks offsider is the funny Donkey, played by Nat Jobe. Nat is a singer, dancer and actor who has performed in many adult and children's theatre productions. Nat was able to move about the stage as a donkey would have in a comical fashion.

Princess Fiona finds herself locked in a tower from the age of seven until Shrek comes and rescues her the Princess is played by Lucy Durack Lucy is a singer/songwriter as well as an actor. She has appeared as the leading lady in many musicals. She has appeared on numerous TV shows and has recorded her own albums. The ever-adorable Lucy is a delightful Princess with her clear diction singing.

In one scene in the Tower, there is a flashback in time where Princess Fiona is played by two younger actors, Annie Chiswell as Fiona as a teenager, and one of 5 girls as Fiona as a child. The singing is good here when they sing on there own, and also when they sing in unison.

Lord Farquaad is the very short-statured head of the Kingdom of Duloc. He has banished all the Fairy Tale characters from the Kingdom. His mission in life is to marry a Princess, so convinces Shrek to go and rescue Princess Fiona from the Tower in return for letting Shrek remain living in the Swamp. Lord Farquaad is played by Australias most versatile performing artist Todd Mckenney. He is an award-winning performer on stage and screen excelling in song and dance. It is obvious he is having a lot of fun playing this role on stage with his mischievous humour. I just wish he would remember that Shrek the Musical is a family show with children in the audience and cut our his sexual innuendos he places in it. These are not necessary to create enjoyment of the show, they just detract from it.  

The Dragon guards Princess Fiona in the Tower. The Dragon is a huge life-like puppet, skillfully controlled by four puppeteers. The voice of the Dragon is Marcia Hines, Australia's beloved musical treasure who has released 22 big selling albums of her songs. When she first came to Australia at the age of 16 she appeared in Hair, then Jesus Christ Superstar, Big River and Jerry's Girls and Saturday Night Fever. Marcia's powerful singing voice of the Dragon wows the audience with its outpouring force. Marcia is heard and not seen as she sings for the Dragon. It is good she comes out on stage for the last song I'm a Believer. Marcia was the standout performer in Shrek the Musical.

The ensemble takes on various roles, such as Fairy Tale characters, which require some quick costume changes. There singing is really good. The dances are a bit restricted by the elaborate costumes they are wearing.

Red Riding Hood,  Donkey, Shrek, Pinocchio, Fairy

The sets get a 10 out of 10. They are colourful, fanciful and are a brilliant backdrop for the action on the stage. The effective lighting and projections establish the mood for each scene. The excellent make-up and wigs help create the storey book characters come to life.

Music is provided by a 12 piece orchestra. This music is an effective backdrop for the quieter and more boisterous 20 songs in the show.

The highlights of the show for me were the movements of the enormous dragon and the dancing rats. For the children in the audience, the highlight was the farting jokes, based on the amount of laughter coming from them. 

Once upon a time was Shrek the Musical ... and they lived happily ever after. That is, all except for Lord Farquaad. You will have to come along to see Shrek the Musical to find out why that is......

Shrek the Musical SEASON DETAILS

SYDNEY
Venue Sydney Lyric Theatre, The Star
Season ti February 9 2020
Performance Times Wed-Sat 7.30pm, Matinees Wed & Thurs 1pm, Sat 2pm, Sun 1pm and 6pm
Prices: From $49.90 (Transaction fees apply)
Bookings: ticketmaster.com.au or 1300 795 267

MELBOURNE
Venue Her Majesty’s Theatre
Season From 16 February 2020
Performance Times Wed-Sat 7.30pm, Matinees Wed 1pm, Sat 2pm, Sun 1pm and 6pm
Prices: From $49.90 (Transaction fees apply)
Bookings: ticketek.com.au or 132 849

Groups 12+ call 1300 364 001

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Website: https://shrekthemusical.com.au/