Shrek

Shrek is an anti-social ogre who enjoys spending time in his swamp. He is getting along fine until fairytale creatures who have been exiled by Lord Farquaad arrive. This bright and fun show took us on the wonderful journey of Shrek as he found friendship with the fairytale characters all around him. Playing Shrek, Ryan Flay had great personality and his singing and acting were super, imbuing the show with his larger than life personality.  Introduced to his friends along the way, we met some great characters, all of whom performed well in this lively and colourful production. Pinocchio played by Cooper King made us laugh with his growing nose. The donkey was played very well by Sarah Davidson with good acting and timing, and the connection between Shrek and the donkey was well captured. Princess Fiona was destined to marry Lord Farquaad, and we saw lovely performances from young Fiona and teen Fiona. Sian Barr, playing Princess Fiona, brought us lovely characterisation and her singing was excellent. Lord Farquaad was played by Qyle Lander, and he displayed a solid command of the stage. His ability to work with the costume was extremely well done, and spending most of the time entirely on his knees, he coped with all aspects of the role admirably. Everyone loves to see the dragon in Shrek, and it was well choreographed as it moved around the stage, and Amly Lieder as the dragon brought us outstanding vocals. The set was bursting with colour, and the cloths and props enhanced the entire production. There are a lot of make-up requirements in this show and all of them were superb. There is something for everyone involved in performing Shrek and we saw some lovely performances from the cast. The costumes were excellent, and the prosthetics were particularly good. While I know it was hot under the costumes and prosthetics everyone managed them with ease. The show flowed well under Hannah Calder’s direction, and choreography by Jasmine Adams was well done. The use of a passerelle brought an added dimension to the staging of the show and it was utilised well in the storytelling. Clear diction shone through the singing, and it was supported by the large live band under the musical direction of Susan Munro. With good lighting and sound, all aspects of the show blended well. This was a great show that Lochaber Showstoppers can add to their list of successes. Well done!

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