Welcome home, the Scottish ogre who charmed the world
ONCE upon a time, there was a very successful film about an ugly, Scottish ogre. It proved so successful that the makers went on to create three sequels, bringing joy to millions. But it wasn’t enough. They wanted more – so Shrek the Musical was born and everyone lived happily ever after. The end...
Well, for now anyway. But with the huge success of the Shrek franchise, who knows the future?
It’s been almost 14 years since the star-studded cast of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz brought the grotesquely funny Shrek to animated life.
The West End musical version followed suit, with celebs such as Amanda Holden, Kimberley Walsh and Nigel Harman vying for a place in Shrek history.
For those not familiar with the story – where have you been? – Shrek, a feared but benign ogre, is content living in solitude in his swamp where he is free to be as rancid and flatulent as he wishes.
Then a bunch of bizarre fairytale creatures are dumped there after being extradited from nearby town Duloc by Lord Farquaad, a short man with big hopes of being king.
But he cannot be crowned until he marries a princess, so sets his sights on beautiful Fiona – who has been locked in a tower guarded by a firebreathing dragon since she was a little girl.
Shrek then finds himself on an adventure to save Princess Fiona after making a deal with Lord Farquaad to rescue her in return for his swamp.
Gerard Carey undoubtedly steals the show as a camp Farquaad. What’s even more impressive is that he plays the entire show on his knees – no mean feat, considering the length of time he’s on stage.
He seems to be genuinely only 3ft tall and crams a lot of comedy i nto t hat s mall package. His energetic dance number What’s Up, Duloc? knots the crowd in bellyaching laughter. His ludicrously camp facial expressions give Myers’ Austin Powers a run for his money.
Nikki Bentley’s Princess Fiona has a secret to hide – and captured the light and shade of the role beautifully. Her performance of I Know It’s Today showcased the kookiness of her locked-up character with gusto and aplomb.
DEAN Chisnall and Idriss Kargbo are a force to be reckoned with as c omedy double act Shrek and Donkey. Kudos to the pair for maintaining their enthusiasm and performance in what must be two of the most cumbersome costumes in the history of theatre.
Of course, it’s all exactly like the feel-good film – but that’s what people love about it. The costumes are superb and make the transition from the screen to the stage effortlessly. Young and old lap it up.
They even create the firebreathing Dragon with ease, using a very impressive 25ft puppet controlled by four puppeteers who really have their work cut out.
Not only is it huge – and I mean huge – it sings, it dances and flies around the full length of the stage. The hard work is worth it, though, as it’s a real vision to watch and adds to the tingling, magical fairytale feel of the whole production; something the small screen can never replicate.
There’s some homegrown talent here too in the shape of Charlotte Langan and Grace McConville, who play Little Shrek and Little Fiona. Both attend Stagecoach East Kilbride and melted the hearts of the audience members every time they walked on stage.
Just like in the film, Shrek wouldn’t be complete without a good old party. Chisnall, Bentley and Kargbo get the crowd up on their feet to round out the show, dancing t o The Monkees’ I’m a Believer.
This show ticks all the boxes. It’s a hit with the kids; there’s plenty of innuendo for the adults; and if you’re an avid theatregoer, you may even detect some hidden parodies of such well-known musicals as Dirty Dancing, Wicked, Les Miserables and The Lion King.
Much like Lord Farquaad, this show will have you laughing so hard, you’ll be on your knees.
Shrek is at the King’s Theatre, Glasgow, until Sunday, May 17, and the Edinburgh Playhouse from October 21 to November 9.