Shrek the Musical

It was a pleasure to have visited Cygnet Players once again and on this occasion get my first experience of the highly regarded show - ‘Shrek the Musical’.  With a cast in excess of forty, this was another ambitious show for the society to undertake and one I greatly looked forward to attending. It is never easy to take on such a well-loved project but I must admit to feeling quietly optimistic that Cygnet Players would, once again, manage to ‘pull this off’. 

‘Shrek the Musical’ is based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks animation film and was written by David Lindsay-Albaire with all new songs from Jeanine Tesori. Set in a mythical ‘Once Upon A Time’ sort of land, ‘Shrek the Musical’ is the story of a hulking green ogre who, after being mocked and feared his entire life, retreats to a lonely swamp to exist in happy isolation.  When a gang of homeless fairy-tale characters suddenly invade his sanctuary Shrek agrees to do whatever it takes to get rid of his unexpected visitors. With the licence now available for amateur societies this musical will undoubtedly be hugely popular in bringing the beloved story and characters to life on stages across Britain.

The four principals (Shrek, Donkey, Fiona and Lord Farquaad) had all been very well-cast with their individual characters being ‘spot on’. Working well together their stage relationships blossomed and seemed both genuine and sincere. The quality of vocals and acting was of the high standard I’ve come to expect from Cygnet Players.   

I would very much have liked to have been able to single out more individual performances but with such a large cast, and so many of those onstage filling multiple roles, it was difficult to take everything on-board. The costumes, colour and overall spectacle created were simply fabulous. I was aware that everyone was fully engaged throughout the performance and greatly contributed to the overall success of the show. Congratulations then to the entire ensemble!

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