Shrek the Musical Jr

This show is not only fun but also carries an important message about acceptance, friendship and celebrating what makes us unique (the ethos of the school) all of which elements were fully embraced by the 54 young people, aged 8-16, on stage. From the opening “Big Bright Beautiful World” to the rousing finale “I’m a Believer” the large ensemble - whether as swamp dwellers, Fairy Tale character or Duloc Guards - sang and moved really well and with great enthusiasm. 14 year old Mylo was excellent as Shrek with a good strong singing voice and great acting abilities portraying equally well the characters grumpy side and his more mellow side in his growing love for Princess Fiona. Princess Fiona was played by 12 year old Annabelle with just the right amount of feistiness and her beautiful voice was shown to its best in her solo “This is How a Dream Comes True” and in the trio “I Know It’s Today” with Little Fiona (Mia aged 11) and Teen Fiona (Isla aged 12). I also enjoyed the confrontational duet between Fiona and Shrek “I Think I Got You Beat” where they try to outdo each other on the aspects of their childhood. Adding greatly to the fun in the piece was 12 year old Olivia’s portrayal of Donkey – always on the move and with constant and sometimes annoying chatter – whose every action had the audience laughing. Her strong singing voice was shown to it’s best in “Make a Move” and the tongue - twisting “Travel Song”. Another who engendered much laughter was 12 year old Thea’s portrayal of the diminutive Lord Farquard as he made up for his lack of inches with his bullying ways. One of the many highlights was 10 year old Jessica as the voice of the impressive Dragon puppet with her voice soaring in her rendition of “Forever”. Strong support was given by Charlotte (13), Mollie (11) and Kara (11) as the Storytellers, Eilidh (11) as Pinocchio and Ellamary (13) as Gingy. By using a video wall to represent the various scenes, with the addition of small set pieces, the cast had plenty of room for the ensemble numbers. Congratulations to Graham, his team and all the cast members for a most enjoyable show.

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