SHREK The Musical Jr

Act One Beginners earned themselves a standing ovation as the curtain closed for their final performance of ‘SHREK’ The Musical Jr. directed by Leanne Wharf. Originally a popular animated film, this stage show follows the same plot, SHREK and Donkey go on a quest to rescue Princess Fiona at the behest of Lord Farquaad, differing from the film only by the addition of extra musical numbers. What a fantastic production this youth society presented. From start to finish the pace was smooth, the actors confident and the crew exacting. Leanne nurtured excellent performances from her cast, the joy radiating from the stage was infectious, the audience laughed aloud and clapped heartily. Playing to a full house did not faze even the youngest cast member, instead the company seemed to feed off the atmosphere, resulting in top notch performances from each actor on stage. There were some wonderfully clever moments within the show, one such that I particularly enjoyed saw the young Shrek, turned out from his home, passing the young Fiona on her way to the tower. The flashback scene during the number ‘I Think I Got You Beat’ was fantastic, young Fiona singing with her bucket whilst young Shrek was chased out of town with pitchforks, simply great. The humour of having chained knights as prisoners, bedraggled and witty as Donkey entered the dragon's lair was great. The whole production was slick, and very entertaining.

Vocals were strong throughout, Musical Director Alice Butterfield, created fantastic harmonies with the company, fairy tale specific accents clear within the vocals. Soloists were confident, projection was great. Each actor knew their vocal cues perfectly. Beth Whittaker ran the music, impressively keeping pace throughout. There were no gaps, music began and ended on cue. Sound throughout was clear with no dropouts or feedback. With a cast of so many using microphones, there were, impressively, no open mics when not in use.

Choreography by Jess and Beth Whittaker was fresh, vibrant. They worked the company hard; dance routines were energetic. The rats and Fiona joined forces in an energetic sequence whilst a dumbfounded Pied Piper looked on. The atmosphere during ‘Freak Flag’ was electric, the cast clearly enjoying themselves. Duloc characters moved in synchronous motion, drilled to tight formation. Costumes, makeup, and prosthetics looked fantastic. Bright, colourful costumes adorned the cast. I particularly liked the costumes as Fiona grew in age, identical down to the finest detail. The fairytale characters, no two the same, looked excellent, the cast obviously comfortable, with no readjusting loose costumes on stage.

As the show began, stage right was a projection of a large storybook, bright and clear. Projection Operator Greg Wharf ensured focused imagery, clear, timed exactly right. I did enjoy the projection used whilst Shrek and Donkey travelled, the waxing and waning sun crossing the sky looked lovely. Lighting by Ryan Clegg and Alex Pickup added ambience and depth to scenes. Green and yellows picked out the sunflower field scene, cyans and blues lit Fiona’s tower bedroom, the effects were multiple with tight spotlights. I was particularly impressed with the number of props used throughout this show. They were many and varied, I loved the torture devices Farquaad had in store for Gingy, kitchen utensils, pure genius. Stage Manager Tom Whittaker and his team worked as a unit. Scene changes were smooth as the crew swiftly reset the stage. A talented team effort all around.

All the technical work is only worthwhile if the players know exactly where they should be. Each actor knew their place and naturally positioned themselves as they performed. There were forty-four actors included in this production, each person as valuable as the next but unfortunately, I can not mention everyone by name. I do notice each individual and I appreciate all the effort and hard work. The company were fantastic, their harmonies strong.

The Three Storytellers (Ella Proctor, Charlotte Greenwood, and Ruby Atkinson) narrated the story. Opening the show with confidence, the three actors appeared on many occasions, their dialogue shared and delivered with great pace.

The awww, factor came early on in this production as Mama Ogre (Jasmin Majid) and Papa Ogre (Sebastian Heywood) kicked out their son, Little Ogre (Autumn Wharf.) This was a nice introduction, with comical vocal performances from Jasmin and Sebastian. The audience loved Autumn, the tiny Shrek costume and makeup, the slumping of the shoulders as Mama and Papa ruthlessly said goodbye, it was funny, it was cute, wonderfully played by all three actors.

Jack Vaughan played Shrek. Jack was great as the grumpy green ogre, his Scottish accent was impressive, his mannerisms animated. He had pacy delivery, not once fumbling over the copious amount of dialogue. Vocally, ‘I Think I got You Beat’ a duet with Princess Fiona was strong, and jolly funny. An excellent performance from Jack.

The role of Princess Fiona initially split between three actors, allowed the audience to see the passage of time as she grew. Young Fiona (Betsy Bentley), Teen Fiona (Brooke Bentley) and Summer Stubbs (Princess Fiona) not only looked resplendent in their costumes, but they were also amazing when in harmony ‘I Know It’s Today,’ was an excellent number vocally and visually. Betsy began the song, Brooke then took over, followed by Summer, the three versions of Fiona then sang together. Each vocally strong. Well done all involved.

Summer Stubbs was fabulous as Princess Fiona, her accent, and mannerisms well honed. Summer had great comedy timing, never missing a beat, with strong on-stage chemistry with her fellow actors. The quick change during the wedding scene was impressive, Summer reappeared in ogre mode swiftly, her prosthetic face makeup applied in a few short moments. A rounded, impressive performance from Summer, with excellent vocals and great characterisation.

Donkey, played by Alfie Feeley was fantastic. Alfie had the accent, the rapid-fire dialogue, and the comedy. He was exuberant, animated, and silly, his mannerisms perfected. The audience laughed aloud in appreciation for his characterisation. An exceptional performance.

As Lord Farquaad, Ava Millar was hilarious. Her costume fantastic, requiring Ava to spend the whole show on her knees, added to the comedy. I thought the introduction, where Farquaad arrived on a stick horse was very funny. The musical number, ‘What’s Up Duloc?’ was excellent, the splits at the end were hilarious. Ava had the accent; the muffin man scene was great. Vocally strong with a natural comic ability.

Sara Zahraoui displayed her fantastic vocal talents as Dragon. Without doubt, Sara has a vast vocal range, projecting easily. The song ‘Forever’ was excellent, sung with passion and emotion. The costume worn looked great, Sara moved gracefully, the dragon head navigated with ease. A powerful performance.

Madison Crenshaw doubled up as the Fairy Godmother and Gingy. The scene torture with Farquaad and the gum drop buttons was excellent, Madison had honed her accent adding to the humour. She worked the Gingy puppet confidently, moving in time with the dialogue, and looked fabulous in her Fairy Godmother costume. Her ability to keep the Gingy accent whilst singing was impressive. A strong character performance from Madison, well done.

I did enjoy Ruby Whitaker’s performance as Pinocchio. Her attention to her positioning as Pinocchio told a lie, assured the audience could see the nose growing clearly. ‘Story Of My Life,’ lead by Ruby was excellent, bright, and engaging. Joining Ruby during the ensemble musical numbers were fellow cast members, Rosie Beaumont (Wicked Witch,) Patsy Slater (Ugly Duckling) Josh Kinsella (Big ‘Bad’ Wolf) and Mickey Wilkinson (Peter Pan), all strong character actors in their own rights. Creating close harmonies and displaying excellent abilities for accents and physical movement, these actors took the smaller (but no less important) leading roles and played them to perfection. Gracie Thorpe, Bethany Bebb, and Emily Slater appeared as the jolly funny Three Little Pigs, complete with Germanic accents, whilst Ava-Mae Edmondson, Poppy Foulds and Ava Cryer, danced up a storm with great vocals during Freak Flag.’ Rounding up the cast was Captain of the Guard, Kirsten Hendry, comically fleeing in Shrek’s presence.

There were many actors making up the ensemble, with featured dancers bringing dance routines to life with animation and effervescence. The stage was awash with colourful costumes and great character performances. The cast and crew pulled together to create a wonderfully engaging show. I would like to thank Act One Beginners for inviting me to their production, and for the warm hospitality shared throughout the evening. I look forward to many more productions from them in the future.

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