Shrek – The Musical
Belgrade Theatre, Coventry
31st January 2023
January may well have been the longest month ever and a bit of a chore to get through, but if you’re still feeling a bit blue (well, maybe green), then a trip to the land of Far, Far Away might be just the ticket you need. The ‘Shrek’ musical (based on the famous film franchise) has resumed its UK tour, and plays this week at Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre. The subversive show parodies the cliches of our favourite childhood fairytales and spins everything into light-hearted comic romp that casts an unlikely (and unwitting) hero at the heart of his own romantic quest. After being thrown out by his parents at the age of 7 and then enduring many years of fearful persecution by the local villagers, green ogre Shrek (played here by Antony Lawrence) shuns human connection as much as he can, preferring his solitary life instead. When the flamboyant and diminutive Lord Farquaad (James Gillan) decrees that all fairytale creatures must leave the kingdom, they descend on Shrek’s swamp with nowhere else to go. Shrek visits Farquaad to demand his swamp back, which Farquaad agrees to, on the condition that Shrek rescue Princess Fiona (former Strictly dancer Joanne Clifton) from the highest room of a dragon-guarded tower, in order to make her his queen. Desperate for peace and solitude, Shrek reluctantly undertakes the mission, with wisecracking Donkey by his side (Brandon Lee Sears), but soon discovers that he might actually enjoy the company of others after all.
‘Shrek’s story probably never needed to be turned into a musical, but its adaptation is certainly one of the stronger ones to hit the stage. The material was already so strong that adding music and lyrics (by Jeanine Tesori and David Lindsay-Abaire) doesn’t really add much, but then neither does it derail it, and on the whole it works well. It’s a feel-good fun family show that sets out to make the little *ones giggle and the grownups smile wryly to themselves, and it achieves both. Lindsay-Abaire adapts the film’s original script, keeping it mostly intact and retaining the sense of irreverent humour that the franchise is known for, and delivers all of the key narrative moments along with some sharp lyrics. A sense of padding does creep in later on (this is a 90-minute film stretched to over 2 hours excluding the interval), and Tesori’s songs also seem to get weaker as the show progresses (despite outsider-anthem “Freak Flag” which elevates the second half), but overall the sense of whimsical fun carries the production through and remans infectious. Visually the show impresses, with great set-and costume-design by Nick Winston (who also directs), and clever video design (Nina Dunn) and lighting (Ben Cracknell), although some of the show’s larger moments have been downscaled from previous productions, so anyone who saw the show at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane may feel a little underwhelmed by some scenes. However, such changes are inevitably necessary to allow productions to tour, and there’s still plenty here to enjoy.
Now that the tour has been running for a little while, the cast have really settled into their roles and are better than ever. They’re clearly having a great time up there, creating masses of fun between them and the audience feel that in waves. Antony Lawrence remains an excellent lead, hugely likeable with a great sense of playfulness. Brandon Lee Sears is an instant hit as Donkey, brilliantly physical with perfect comic timing and that enviable voice he showed off so well on the last ‘Dreamgirls’ tour. Joanne Clifton continues to exceed expectations as the feisty Fiona, being genuinely funny and sounding great while having a couple of chances to remind us of her fancy footwork skills. Star-in-the-making Cherece Richards hasn’t lost her edge either, continuing to roar as Dragon and nearly blowing the roof off with the strength of her voice. Richards is an exciting new talent and we can’t wait to see what she does next. The ensemble also excel at an assortment of characters, and also sell the group numbers with an infectious energy (especially “Freak Flag” and the “I’m A Believer” finale which sends the audience out buzzing). Particular company standouts are Mark D’Arcy as Pinocchio, who nails the mannerisms and really embodies the character, and also Georgie Buckland, who not only gives great personality to the Gingerbread Man puppet but also shows off some impressive vocals.
Theatre fans will love the references to other musicals, ‘Shrek’ fans will love the faithfulness to the film’s beloved characters, and kids will love every joke around bodily-functions, of which there are numerous. ‘Shrek’ has never intended to be the height of sophisticated humour, and the same if true of the musical, preferring instead to purely entertain, which it does. If you’re looking for something to entertain the little ones that’s a little less sugary than the standard Disney fare (or looking to relive your childhood yourself), ‘Shrek’ is a great alternative. Excellent performances from Sears, Clifton and Richards really make ‘Shrek’ a must-see this winter, so try and catch him on his quest if you can.
‘Shrek’ runs at Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre until Saturday 3rd February before continuing on its UK tour.
Performance runtime 2 hours 35 minutes including interval
