- Year
- 2023
- When
- April 2023
- Venue
- Dormston Mill Theatre, Sedgley
- Type
- Musical
- Book
- David Lindsay-Abaire
- Lyrics
- David Lindsay-Abaire
- Music
- Jeanine Tesori
- Rights
- Title, synopsis, artwork and photographs are the property of DreamWorks Theatricals LLC
- Photographs
- 91 in the gallery
Synopsis
Shrek narrates his seventh birthday, when his parents send him out into the world. Years later, fairytale creatures banished by Lord Farquaad invade his swamp, so Shrek sets off to Duloc to reclaim it, picking up a talkative Donkey along the way. Farquaad promises him the swamp in return for rescuing Princess Fiona. Shrek and Donkey face a dragon and free her, but Fiona hides a secret: she turns into an ogress at nightfall. Shrek finally tells Fiona how he feels, the curse is broken, and she stays an ogress as they begin their life together.
From the company’s records
Ran 25 April 2023 to 30 April 2023.
The show was planned before the pandemic and cancelled: the audition pack for Priscilla refers to it as the cancelled 2021 show, and members who had already paid a subscription for it carried that payment over.
Shrek was finally staged in 2023, three years after tickets for it first went on sale.
Momma Ogre, Papa Ogre and Young Shrek were in full green make up.
Fiona was cast at three ages, with separate auditions for the child, the teenager and the adult.
The pack opened with a warning that the production used latex make up and prosthetics, and advised anyone with a latex allergy not to audition.
Who made it
Production team
- Producer / Director
- Alf Rai
- Choreographer
- Lindsey Vickers
- Musical Director
- Rob Murray
- Lighting Director
- Alec Corbett
- Sound Engineer
- Black Country Audio
- Costumes
- Molly Limpet's Costumiers
- Additional Costumes
- Leo's Theatrical Costumiers
- Scenery
- UK Productions
- Props
- Nikki Rai
- Stage Manager
- Steve Taylor
- Dance Captain
- Abbie Sellick
- Musical Assistant
- Kelly Ashman
- Hair & Makeup
- Paul Herrington
- Hair & Makeup
- Amy Pearson
- Programme Production
- Daniel Haddon
- Programme Production
- Abbie Wild
- Ticket Secretary
- Christine Spittle
- Front of House Manager
- Jon Chadwick
- Show Photography
- Chris Wolverson
- Promotional & Headshot Photography
- Daniel Haddon
- Band, MD/Conductor
- Rob Murray
- Band, Saxophone/Clarinet/Flute/Piccolo
- Beccy Bernamont
- Band, Saxophone/Bass Clarinet/Clarinet/Flute
- Giacomo Aggas
- Band, Horn
- Sara Kimber
- Band, Trumpet/Flugel Horn
- Craig Stevens
- Band, Trombone
- Becca Pope
- Band, Violin
- Mathias Svensson
- Band, Guitar
- Mike Holt
- Band, Keys 1
- Alex Priestley
- Band, Keys 2
- James Woolliscroft
- Band, Bass
- Sunim Koria
- Band, Drums
- Dave Shipley
Cast
- Shrek
- Daniel Haddon
- Donkey
- Will Phipps
- Lord Farquaad
- Dom Napier
- Fiona
- Rachel Chadwick
- Momma Ogre
- Laura Leo
- King Harold
- John Wiley
- Papa Ogre
- Alf Rai
- Queen Lillian
- Jenni Rullán
- Pinocchio
- James Totney
- Dragon
- Abbie Wild
- Gingy
- Abbie Sellick
- Thelonius
- Matt Wirtz
- Wicked Witch
- Nikki Rai
- Peter Pan
- Thomas Knapper
- Momma Bear
- Kelly Ashman
- Mad Hatter
- Simon Williams
- Guard Captain
- Dave Callaghan
- Red Riding Hood
- Beth Williams
- Big Bad Wolf
- Jim Steventon
- Tinkerbell
- Kilby Ward
- Little Pig
- Megan Gosnell
- Little Pig
- Samantha Henry
- Little Pig
- Kimberley Smith
- Tweedle Dum
- Louise Swann
- Fairy Godmother
- Charlotte Goode
- White Rabbit
- Jess Goodwin
- Fairy
- Aimee Morgan
- Burned Knight
- Sam Hancox
- Burned Knight
- Sam Broomhall-Tighe
- Guard
- Anthony Hickman
- Guard
- Leigh Tabner
Everybody else
The rest of the names the company’s records carry for this production, on stage and off it.
How the show was staged, from the audition pack3
Lord Farquaad was performed on his knees, the Dragon was played by a performer in a costume on stage rather than worked as a puppet, and Gingy was voiced by a performer operating a puppet on a tray
The running order
Every number, in the order the programme printed them.
Act one
Overture
Orchestra
Big Bright Beautiful World
Shrek, Mama Ogre, Papa Ogre, Ensemble
Story of My Life
Pinocchio, Fairy Tale Creatures
The Goodbye Song
Shrek, Fairy Tale Creatures
Don't Let Me Go
Donkey
I Know It's Today
Young Fiona, Teen Fiona, Fiona
What's Up, Duloc?
Lord Farquaad, Ensemble
Travel Song
Shrek, Donkey
Forever
Dragon, Donkey
This Is How a Dream Comes True
Fiona, Shrek, Donkey, Ensemble
Who I'd Be
Shrek
Act two
Morning Person
Fiona, Pied Piper, Rats
I Think I Got You Beat
Fiona, Shrek
The Ballad of Farquaad
Lord Farquaad, Thelonious, Guards
Make a Move
Donkey, Three Blind Mice, Ensemble
When Words Fail
Shrek
Morning Person (Reprise)
Fiona
Build a Wall
Shrek
Freak Flag
Gingy, Fairy Tale Creatures
Big Bright Beautiful World (Reprise)
Shrek, Fiona
Finale
Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, Ensemble
What the reviewers wrote
Short extracts only. The full notices remain the work of the writers and the papers that published them.
“There were dazzling visuals where the dancing complemented the drama well and these larger-than-life characters from fairy tales were brought to life radiating magic and fun.”
“Much credit afforded to the production team for successfully bringing to the stage the story of Shrek, worthy of the rapturous standing ovation I observed at the end of the evening.”
Flyer front, 2023
The company’s own artwork for Shrek the Musical, as it was printed. The archive holds printed artwork for the seasons from 2018 onwards and none at all before that.
Were you in it?
We would like to know more about Shrek the Musical.
The record for this production is thinner than the show deserves. If you were in it, or you were in the audience, you may have something the archive does not.
Programmes, photographs, cuttings from the local paper, a cast list in somebody’s handwriting: all of it helps, and we will add it here.
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