Shrek - The Musical

It is always a pleasure to visit with TOPS and enjoy watching a society delivering such a consistently high level of entertainment. Originally scheduled for May 2020, Shrek – The Musical has been in hibernation for almost two years but the full-house, and buzz of excitement on arrival, bode very well for yet another quality TOPS production.  

Shrek - the Musical is based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks animation film, was written by David Lindsay-Albaire and includes all new songs from Jeanine Tesori. Set in a mythical ‘Once Upon A Time’ sort of land, it 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 but…

Congratulations must be given to the entire Production Team for the overall success of this show. Shrek - The Musical was an ambitious project and clearly demanded extensive time and effort to both organise and manage.  As such, it must have been hugely pleasing to see all your hard work come together so well onstage. Attention to detail was obvious and this can only be achieved through commitment, dedication and hours of rehearsal time. The use of rear-stage projections, instead of an actual set, was one I’d not seen before but proved to be an inspired decision. With a cast of 47, in various fairytale costumes, this decision afforded maximum space onstage for all performers.

The four principals (Shrek, Donkey, Fiona and Lord Farquaad) had all been very well-cast and of an exceptionally high standard. The principals had clearly worked extensively on their individual characters and it was delightful to watch their relationships blossom. Excellent stage presence from each with quality vocals, and the high standard of acting, I’ve come to expect from TOPS.

This truly was a non-stop production. The costumes, colour and overall spectacle from the entire cast were simply fabulous. I was aware that everyone was fully engaged throughout the performance and greatly contributed to the overall success of the show.

Huge congratulations to everyone at TOPS and especially all those who took part in this long-awaited production. The end result was simply fabulous and the full-house loved every moment.  I am pleased to see that Our House is scheduled for September, with Carousel for April 2023, and I look forward to attending more high-quality shows in the future.

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