Shrek The Musical Junior

Centre Stage Youth Theatre presented their colourful production of Shrek the Musical at the Daneside Theatre. Directed by Jill Mason, this was a really good production. The audience were greeted by a fantastic set with Shrek’s swamp downstage left and Fiona’s tower (with a sleeping Fiona!) downstage right. Projections were used throughout, which added to the cartoony world of Shrek. It helped with quick scene changes and kept the pace high throughout. The direction from Jill was good throughout, using the space well. The raised platform upstage was used well throughout the production, allowing the cast to create different pictures using levels. The cast knew exactly what they were doing throughout, and their entrances and exits were great. There were no awkward pauses waiting for cast to enter or exit, which is testament to the cast and Jill as director. The costumes and makeup were fantastic! Each fairy tale creature looked the part, and Shrek’s costume and prosthetics were super. Well done Claire Payton and Andrea Hall for your work!

 

The cast performed to backing tracks, being conducted by Debs Stokes. It was great watching Debs at work – she had obviously worked the cast hard with the music and it showed! Debs was supportive of the cast throughout, giving them a round of applause after each number.

 

Kim Woodall was choreographer for this production. The choreography was particularly impressive, with all cast executing it well. The tap routine in ‘Morning Person’ was very well performed by Lily Smith and the ensemble. Well done all!

 

Lighting (Nick Walker) and sound (Tom Maurice) was a very good aspect of this production. The sound balance between backing tracks and the cast was spot on, with the sound effects used cued well. The lighting was varied throughout, and added texture to the scenes.

 

Luca Farrall was simply outstanding as Shrek. The accent, mannerisms and comedy were executed so well throughout. Luca’s songs were great also, with ‘Who I’d Be’ performed with Lily and Erika, a particular highlight.

 

Princess Fiona was played by Lily Smith, who delivered a great performance. Lily delivered on the comedy of the role, as well as bringing a sincerity to the character. ‘I Know it’s Today’, performed by Lily, Alana Craven (Teen Fiona) and Edie Phillips (Young Fiona) was another highlight, showcasing each of these young performers.

 

You cannot fault the energy of Erika Davenport’s Donkey! There were times where the audience lost lines due to diction. It would have been interesting to see the light and shade of Donkey, instead of playing it at such high energy throughout.

 

Charlie Mills was suitably funny as Lord Farquaad. Charlie had a great stage presence, instantly drawing your eye to him. Charlie has a good singing voice and played the comedic moments of Farquaad very well, bringing lots of laughs.

 

Grace Kennedy was a powerhouse as Dragon, performing ‘Forever’ very well. The staging of the song was a bit confusing, as the audience could not see Grace. The stage was busy with the Dragon puppet (very impressive!) but could Grace have been downstage for the song?

 

Milly Edwards played Pinocchio brilliantly! The audience were treated to a voice similar to the character in the film. Milly led the ensemble in ‘Story of My Life’ and ‘Freak Flag’ very well.

 

Holly Pipon as Sugar Plum Fairy/Gingy did very well. Again, the voice she had for Gingy was similar to the film version, bringing a familiarity to the audience. Holly had good vocals as well, displaying them in ‘Make a Move’ joining Grace Tyrell and Rose Mendham as the Three Blind Mice.

 

The ensemble were kept busy throughout and looked like they were having so much fun on stage! As the fairy tale creatures, they each brought their own characteristics to their individual character. Fin Diamond (Peter Pan) was a particular stand out amongst this strong ensemble.

 

Overall, this was a great production! It was a visual treat for the eyes, with some great performances from this young cast.

 

Thank you for your kind invite and all the best for your next production.

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