Shrek the Musical

How have I managed to get this far into my theatre-going career without seeing Shrek the Musical? I loved the original 2001 fantasy comedy film. It told the story of an embittered ogre who finds his swamp invaded by fairy tale folk banished by a maniacal ruler called Lord Farquaad. With the help of his new excitable friend, Donkey, Shrek makes an agreement with Farquaad to rescue a princess from a castle in exchange for regaining control of his swamp. I remember feeling delighted when I heard that the film had been made into a stage musical in 2008. It’s now 2024, and I’ve only just seen it, but it was worth the wait. It was an absolute treat, brought to the stage with skill, talent and enthusiasm by Grantham Youth Theatre Society.

GYTS is quite a unique organisation in my NODA district, and I was lucky enough to find out more about the group last night from the very lovely Megan Wynn and Becca East, this year’s chair and vice chair. The society’s membership is made up young people between the ages of 16 – 30 and they produce one full musical a year, every August. The production is rehearsed and prepared in just two weeks with the actors arriving off book on the first day of rehearsal. What this company achieve in this time is nothing short of miraculous.

The cast this year was made up of long-term members and newcomers with the titular role of Shrek being played by Archie, with a reasonably authentic Scottish accent which only occasionally needed a little more strength and conviction. Archie brought real warmth and heart to his role, balancing the ogre’s gruff, grumpy exterior with the vulnerability and kindness within. His singing voice was gentle and rich with understated passion. I loved his performance of I Think I Got You Beat alongside Ella Hobday as Princess Fiona; their voices complimented each other beautifully and it was acted so brilliantly that I really could feel them falling in love.

Ella’s performance of Fiona was joyful throughout. She lit up the stage whenever she entered and is clearly a very skilled performer, playing both high comedy and pathos with ease. It was wonderful to see her switching from sweet and demure to spoilt and stroppy in the blink of an eye. Her singing was strong, and her voice was particularly suited to the folk style of some of the songs. I thoroughly enjoyed her rendition of Who I’d Be at the end of Act One, performed with Archie and Charlie Parker as Donkey.

Donkey is a tricky role, made so famous by Eddie Murphy in the film. Requiring so much high energy throughout, it could be difficult to maintain, but Charlie managed it effortlessly. She bounced around the stage with relentless enthusiasm, beaming with a toothy smile and striking comedy poses with glee. Her singing voice was powerful and controlled.

Everyone always says it’s fun to play the baddie and Corey Hall was clearly having the time of his life as Lord Farquaad. It is a dream of a role and Corey embraced it with both hands, not spilling a drop of its potential. From the moment he entered on his knees with short, spindly fake legs attached to his thighs, he had the audience exactly where he wanted them. His voice and characteristics were reminiscent of Dr Evil from Austin Powers with a dash of Kenneth Williams throw in, and I simply loved his performance. It was big and exaggerated and laced with superb comic timing. The improvisation around his hat costume malfunction was sharp and the reversing beeps on his hobby horse were inspired.

These four lead performers were supported wonderfully by a talented and energetic ensemble who each took on a huge variety of roles across the whole production. Each deserve a mention because they all impressed me with their versatility. Here is just a handful of moments and characters that stood out for me:

• Jack Dennis’s performance as the cross-dressing Big Bad Wolf was subtle and well-observed, fabulous to watch
• The ‘gingerbread man torture scene’ was a comedy highlight and expertly timed. Lottie Morris as Gingy was hilarious – “Do you know the muffin man?”
• I Know It’s Today – a gorgeous song sung beautifully by Millie Sheppard, Molly Wade and Ella Hobday. Lovely harmonies.
• The fabulous rapport between Lord Farquaad and his beloved executioner played with relish by Thomas Judt
• Bethan Stanley’s powerful singing voice as the Dragon in Forever and her imaginative costume and make-up which blended so well with the puppet
• Austin Stanley as the German Little Pig was very funny, and he made an incredible save when the scenery he was moving began to topple over
• The amazing rat tap routine led by Sara Delaney as the Pied Piper (you can’t beat a good tap number!)
• The very funny comic cameo by Evie Nesbitt as the terrified Duloc tour guide

Finally, I must make a special mention to Kacey Hall, who simply delighted me with her performance as Pinocchio. Her characterisation was so well-observed and full of humour, I just loved it and, each time she made an exit, I eagerly awaited her return to the stage.

Kacey was also one of the choreographers, alongside Millie Sheppard, Bethan Stanley and Lottie Morris. With more time, the dance routines might have been more complex, but I was impressed with what the four of them managed to put together within the time limitations. The dances were lively and imaginative, full of fun and wit.

There were many excellent vocal performances throughout and the musical director, Jamie Nowell, should be congratulated on bringing out the best in his performers. I was very impressed with his band, who had even less time to rehearse than the actors, and their precision and skill enriched the show immeasurably. I thought it was a lovely touch that the band members were in some degree of costume as well – I think I spotted Puss in Boots on the drums and the Cowardly Lion on saxophone to name a few.

In fact, there were many, many costumes and Bethan Stanley had the unenviable job of costume designer. On the whole, they were bright, colourful and effectively complimented actor characterisation, although I felt some were a little too simplistic. However, I understand the constraints brought by quick changes and budget restrictions. The make-up was very good, particularly Shrek’s, and I was pleased to see the attention to detail with repairs to his peeling green neck skin during the interval.

The set was limited but effective. The colourful flats built onto a revolving triangular prism were a clever idea and Shrek’s front door was well-made and detailed. I wonder whether something more could have been made of the wide expanse of white wall upstage behind the band. Could projection or decoration have lifted the staging? Even coloured lights directed on to the wall would have softened the harsh white and generated more atmosphere for scenes. Having said that, overall, the lighting design by Tom Fletcher, Leigh Bridge, Jack Dennis and Jamie Nowell was strong, tight and effective, as was the sound design by Leigh Bridge.

Jess Smith was the stage manager, and she must be praised for running such a prop heavy show with such pace and efficiency – it was slick and smooth, well done. The props, coordinated by Bethan Stanley, added so much to the production and I understand everyone helps to make and paint these. I really enjoyed the Travel Song section with the cow jumping over the moon and the Lion King parody. The Dragon and Gingerbread Man puppets were fantastic and expertly handled by Bethan Stanley and Lottie Morris.

Congratulations to Jack Dennis and Archie Stanley for directing and producing this marvellous production. It was funny, fast-paced, and so much I had hoped for in my first viewing of Shrek the Musical. The final roof-raising rendition of I’m a Believer, brought the audience to its feet, and left me believing that GYTS is another top-quality theatre company in my district. Thank you to the whole team – I am already excited to see what you bring to the stage next year.

P.S. I hope the costume team can get Fiona’s green make-up out of that gorgeous white wedding dress!

 

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