Shrek the Musical

This family favourite musical was the perfect choice and really played to the group’s strengths. There was a great set, amazing costumes and fabulous hair and makeup. All in all a visually stunning show. With a cast of 50 and apparently 113 characters and over 500 costume pieces this was no easy task, so to achieve such a high standard is nothing short of a triumph! Sound and lighting were also good, although there were the odd lines from minor principals which were lost.

Shrek (Ricardo) was fabulous with the accent just right and a strong singer. He had great physicality for the role, and kept his energy high despite the challengingly high temperatures. A very accomplished performance.

Rosie gave us a very sassy Fiona and proved to be a great character actress who worked well with Shrek and gave a very natural comedic performance. She also had a terrific singing voice.

Donkey (Anwen) was also a natural comedic actress with great reactions and she stayed incharacter throughout. Her vocals were also impressive, although some of her numbers were in quite a low register due to the part, I believe, being written for a male voice. She coped admirably though.

Lord Farquaad (Marcel) had everyone in stitches and really played to the crowd. One of the best character actors I have seen and a very natural and outstanding performer. I especially loved the way he moved his little (false) legs to great comedic effect! Very well done.

Kensey as Dragon had an amazing voice and belted out her numbers like a true star. She also looked like a star in her red sequinned dress. The dragon’s vocalist is often left off stage but it worked really well to have her out front, standing under the red dragon’s head to establish her character before moving away.

Other principals played their parts well, especially Pinocchio (James) and Gingy (Katie). Everyone stayed in character and their energy and commitment to their roles shone through. The young performers were also terrific and delivered their lines in strong clear voices. Well done.

The choreography by Hatti was fabulous and performed extremely well by this talented cast. I especially appreciated the tapping rats who all proved to be fine tap dancers in a dance with some lovely rhythms and variation of steps. I also loved the ‘What’s Up, Duloc?’dance which was beautifully synchronised.

Direction was excellent by Peter and assistant Antonia, with plenty of comedy moments. Using the auditorium as an entrance for the cast on a few occasions worked really well and brought the audience into the show.

Musical Director Liz, assisted by Hannah, had done a fine job with the vocals, which were well rehearsed and sounded great from the principals and the ensemble. It is a shame not to have a live band, but they are a luxury few amateur groups can afford now and the cast kept beautifully in time with the backing track.

The audience literally danced away from the theatre with a joyous rendition of ‘I’m a believer’, where the cast once again came into the auditorium and the evening finished with a shower of silver glitter to cheers from the audience. What a fabulous evening! Very well done to all involved.

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