Shrek The Musical

What a show!  When you are bringing to life the limitless possibilities available to Hollywood animators you have your work cut out, not least because the expectations of the audience, many of them children, are incredibly high.  The well-established and talented Rotherham Musical Theatre Company rose to the challenge and surpassed it giving an amazing and entertaining evening of joy to the audience.

The opening of this story sees Mama Ogre (Claire Hookham Williams) and Papa Ogre (Frank Hoyland) send their little Shrek (Chester Williams) off into the ‘Big Bright Beautiful World’ to fend on his own – great scene setting and strong characterisation by this ‘very green’ trio.  ‘Story of my Life’ was a brilliant vehicle for the ensemble of Fairytale Creatures.  This hugely talented group included many performers who have taken leads roles in other productions and this really came through as each of them had their own ‘character’ which they portrayed while singing and dancing in beautiful costumes.  Dan Fenwick was a delightful Pinocchio, keen to impress upon anyone that would listen that he was ‘a real boy’ despite his cleverly operated growing nose of wood!  There were many featured characters Geoff Fenwick, Eleanor Hewitt, Sam Clarkson as the Little Pigs, David Hookham as Big Bad Wolf, Rachel Hirst Marshall as the Fairy Godmother, Holly Strawson as the Wicked Witch along with Claire Hookham Williams and Ashley Booker as Mama and Papa Bear who all really gave this scene a hugely powerful energy from which the show seemed to build and build.

Amelia Depledge, Ellie Simmons, Sophie Parkin as the Three Blind Mice were very slick and their routine in ‘Make A Move’ was very enjoyable.  Jack Parkinson was a masterful Captain of the Guard, who together with his team of guards, were in step and on time.  ‘What’s Up, Duloc’ with Lord Farquaad and the Duloc Performers was excellent.  The dancing, led by Dance Captain, Charlotte Wall, was rhythmic and doll like and the perfect scene setter to show Farquaad’s bizarre hold over the fairytale land.  Nick Walton was a wonderfully comic Farquaad who had perfected the use of his ‘little legs’ and voice to bring us an over-the -top dictator of small stature, but huge ego.  The routine of the Tapping Rats was another opportunity to demonstrate the strong dancing abilities of the ensemble.

Kirsty Taylor operated and voiced Gingy – the Gingerbread Man as well as playing the Sugarplum Fairy. This was very entertaining and Taylor made Gingy’s plight at the hands of the evil Farquaad very believable.  There was further puppetry on display with Sam Simmons, Josh Wilkinson, Stuart Ogden and Frank Hoyland operating the huge model dragon.  Simmons operated the head and ensured that the interactions, particularly with Donkey, held the audience’s attention.  The Dragon was voiced by the powerhouse that is Amy Vickers, giving a stunning version of ‘Forever’ supported by Donkey and the Burnt Nights.

The transitions of Princess Fiona were beautifully portrayed by Bonnie Hill as Young Fiona and Pennie Fox as Teen Fiona who introduced us to the ‘grown up’ Princess played by Kati Gill.  Hill, Fox along with Chester Williams (Young Shrek) all have alternates, who I understand are equally excellent, and the confidence and ‘sass’ of these young performers (who are members of the Students Academy) really shone through.  They each took on other roles and were delightful as Baby Bear, Peter Pan and a very articulate Grumpy Dwarf respectively – showing just how talented these stars of the future are.

Kati Gill was a delightful Fiona, who farted and burped with all the eloquence of a Princess!  An entertaining portrayal by the very talented Gill who most definitely gave the Princess an edge, by playing her ‘on the edge’.  Donkey enters Shrek’s life by falling from a tree and from that entrance Matthew Roddis had the audience won over.  The confidence, ability and energy of Roddis means this part could have been written for him – simply awesome (a description I think the cocky Donkey would like).  And so to the title role of Shrek… an incredible portrayal by Josh Roberts, who was absolutely believable in this part of an ogre. I couldn’t see any joins in his make-up and he appeared totally at home in the suit – maybe when the sun sets something strange happens in the Roberts Household?   He captured the spirit and ‘layers’ of this lonely ogre and everyone in the room could relate to the brilliant emotions he poured through the ugly green face.  A stunning performance, with many technical highlights including the accent which was held throughout.  Would it be rude to say he was born to play this role?

Costumes, set and props were colourful and perfect for the show.  Scene changes were swift and effective and great use was made of curtains and cloths to move us from palaces to swamps and forests to towers.  The lighting was excellent giving a real sense of adventure and surprise – not least when Shrek and Donkey are crossing the bridge over the molten lava.  Make-up and prosthetics were sensational with Shrek looking fantastic throughout as well as some very quick changes for members of the ogre family.

The high energy finale was a perfect end to a wonderful production and had the audience on their feet in a well-deserved standing ovation.  Congratulations to Director and Choreographer Dee Bennie-Marshall and MD Matt Symonds, along with the eleven-piece band and performers who did an amazing job.  The sold-out production is a testament to RMTCs reputation, but this show certainly demonstrated that the company aren’t resting on their laurels and are determined, and able, to continue the high-quality productions that audiences have come to expect.

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