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Infectiously feelgood fairy-tale fun.Summary
Rating
Excellent
When I declared my desire to review this show I was shocked by the reaction I received. Everyone from my editor to friends and colleagues looked at me askance as if I had undergone a personality transplant and they were worried about me. I confess I was a bit hurt to think that everyone viewed me as a soulless killjoy only interested in traumatic dramas about doomed love and the inherent unfairness of the world.
Well, listen up all you nay-sayers, for tonight Nathan Blue fluttered out of the dismal pigeon hole you had fashioned for him and flew high on shining wings to have a bloody splendid time at this high-kicking fun-filled and irreverent adventure.
Need the plot? Okay. Once upon a time, seven-year-old ogre Shrek was sent away from home to fend for himself in a swamp where he is perfectly happy on his own, taking pleasure from farting and eating revolting things with no-one to disturb him.
Some years later, Shrek’s lonely bliss is shattered when a hoard of fairy-tale creatures arrive in his swamp having been displaced by the evil Lord Farquaad. Determined to rid himself of Pinocchio, Tinkerbell, The Three Pigs and a starry roll-call of iconic names, Shrek sets off to reckon with Lord F. He’s accompanied by the annoying/lovable Donkey, and when he confronts Farquaad, Shrek is charged with rescuing the Princess Fiona from a prison tower and bringing her back to the Lord so he can marry her and thereby crown himself King.
It turns out Fiona hadn’t expected her knight of deliverance to be a big green ogre, which looks to be a significant obstacle when Shrek falls in love with her. Hey – it’s a story of doomed love in an inherently unfair world! No wonder I liked it.
Shrek has been a vaguely counter-cultural mainstream hit since the 2001 DreamWorks animated film (based on a 1990 book) and this touring production of the musical version is an absolute treat. Even when it’s being sincere, you’re never far from a belly laugh, and the “Beautiful doesn’t always mean pretty” message is poignant but worn lightly.
The story is supported by a raft of rapturously sung songs that put the insipid dirges of bafflingly successful shows such as Evan Hanson and Strange Loop to shame.
Shrek and Fiona first bond when competing over hard-luck stories – a contest which escalates into a hilarious fart/belch masterclass. As the leads, Antony Lawrence and Joanne Clifton are exemplary performers with great chemistry who anchor the show with consummate skill, and they’re surrounded by a cast of supporting characters who frequently dazzle with their energy and expertise…
As the diminutive Farquaad, James Gillan exudes a deliciously camp selfishness. Brandon Lee Sears brings perfect comic timing and an awesome voice to Donkey, and Georgie Buckland is both hysterically funny and vocally astonishing as she performs the put-upon puppet Gingerbread Man.
Special mention must go to Cherece Richards, whose voice is a genuinely showstopping soul sensation. Her main number as the Dragon is reminiscent of And I Am Telling Tell I’m Not Going from Dreamgirls, and belting it to the rafters she easily bears comparison to Jennifer Hudson. She brought the house down.
There isn’t a weak link in the enormous cast, and the chorus – playing what seems like dozens of characters each – are astonishingly good. They execute the brilliantly witty choreography with intoxicating wit and charm, and their grinning athleticism and wonderful acrobatic skills generate exactly the euphoric response these big-scale musicals are at their best when providing.
In terms of staging, physical sets are combined with digital projections, which are imaginative and fitting, but a little bit out of focus at times. And that really is my only quibble.
Who knew that a grumpy singleton would connect so strongly with a grumpy singleton who finds love, wrapped up in a production of pure joy?
Was that grumpy singleton so uplifted by Shrek The Musical that he bought a pair of ogre ears from the merch stall and proudly skipped off into the Wimbledon night? No, of course he didn’t – I do have a reputation to live down to, after all.
Book/lyrics by: David Lindsay-Abaire
Music by: Jeanine Tesori
Choreography by: Nick Winston
Directed by: Samuel Holmes and Nick Winston
Shrek The Musical plays at New Wimbledon Theatre until 30 September, and then tours throughout the UK until April 2024. Further information and tickets can be found here.
