Reviewed: Shrek The Musical

Walking into the foyer of the Theatre Royal Drury lane to a host of theatergoers donning bright green ears, one thing was certain ? Shrek The Musical has arrived in London and people are excited.

Shrek The Musical at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane

With both kids and adults alike clearly in the mood for a fairytale evening, the atmosphere was electric, however, following mediocre reviews on Broadway, the West End production had to impress. And impress it did.

Based on the 2001 Oscar award-winning Dreamworks film, the musical (on the whole) remains true to the original plot, which if you are unfamiliar with goes something like this. A miserable ogre named Shrek and his noble steed ? a talking, parfait-loving donkey ? set off on a quest to rescue the beautiful Princess Fiona from a tower. Mission complete, they begin their journey back home to Duloc where Princess Fiona is set to marry the tyrannical Lord Farquaad, however, an unexpected love blossoms and a rather strange secret emerges. Throw in a love-sick, fire breathing dragon, a bunch of fairytale misfits and a gingerbread man with ‘tude and you have a fantastic recipe for a West End production.

The costumes were absolutely sensational and credit must go to designer Tim Hatley for bringing the beloved characters of the hit film to life with breathtaking detail. Pinocchio (Jonathan Steward) stood out from the crowd with his nobbly, wooden knees and his ever-growing nose worked like a treat. The cross-dressing (not so big, or bad) wolf was hysterical and the three little pigs’ suitcases designed to look like straw, sticks and bricks were a great touch.

Shrek (Nigel Lindsay) and Princess Fiona (Amanda Holden) resembled the much-loved characters from the movie and their costumes were exquisite. The messy face and body cast sessions clearly paid off and even the fluorescent green skin tone and prosthetic ears looked realistic. The transformation of Princess Fiona from elegant beauty, to grotesque ogre was quick and flawless and the practicality of such a costume had clearly been meticulously thought out.

Leading the cast, Nigel Lindsay was sensational in the role of Shrek and endeared himself to the audience from the off. Maintaining an impressive Scottish accent throughout the show ? even during his musical numbers ? Lindsay did not overact the part, but captured the grumpiness of the much-loved ogre with ease.

Amanda Holden shone in the role of Princess Fiona and her chemistry with Lindsay was particularly apparent during the number I Think You Got Me Beat. A hilarious show tune, with plenty of burping and farting involved, it went down incredibly well with the kids and there were definitely a host of adults chuckling too. Holden gave a strong vocal performance, despite struggling on some of the higher notes and her comic timing was on point.

The absolute star of the show, however, was the sensational Nigel Harman who played a very camp, very deluded Lord Farquaad. Performing every one of his scenes almost entirely on his knees with two artificial legs dangling in front of him, Harman was hilarious and received the biggest cheers of the night. Somehow the silky black, shoulder length wig made Harman’s facial expressions even funnier and his shiny red boots were simply brilliant. With a superb stage presence and the strongest voice in the production, Harman made it worth seeing the show for his scenes alone. Spectacular.

Unfortunately Richard Blackwood’s portrayal of Donkey did not quite live up to expectations. He was a little wooden on stage and seemed to lack the charm and charisma required to play such a much-loved character. However, there were moments throughout the show where he really redeemed himself and his true talent shined through. During the song Make a Move, he was amusing, sang well and seemed to get into the groove, which went down well with the audience. Eddie Murphy (who voiced the lovable ass in the original movie) certainly set standards high, however, with a little more practice, I think Blackwood will be excellent in the role.

The special effects used throughout the production were spellbinding and helped bring the show to life in the West End. The scenes featuring the sassy, soulful dragon were the best in the show and had the whole audience gazing on in awe. With the help of incredible puppeteers, the mythical creature (voiced by Landi Oshinowo) was made to look like she could actually sing and belted out one of the most catchy songs in the show, Forever. Complete with fluttering eyelashes, the dragon commanded the stage with a whole lot of attitude and was wonderful to watch. Landi Oshinowo ? who also voiced Humpty Dumpty ? was the strongest female vocalist in the production and her voice was so powerful it gave me goose pimples.

The finale was also spectacular as a mechanical dragon came out from the audience breathing smoke onto the stage. Staying true to the original ending of the movie, the production team did not shy away from making the final scene spectacular and it certainly paid off. I was amazed as an adult and I could but imagine what the hundreds of children gracing the theatre would have thought.

An enchanting and family-friendly production featuring a selection of fabulous songs including I’m A Believer, Shrek The Musical is a great night out and definitely a must-see. With plenty of jokes the kids will love and several thrown in solely for adults, the production is highly entertaining and wonderfully magical.

Book a theatre break to see Shrek the Musical today.