You’ll ‘Shrek’ with laughter
One of the greatest fairytales ever told is coming to the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre from 23 May until 28 June.
MANY of you have watched the movie. But now one of the greatest fairytales ever told is coming to the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre from 23 May until 28 June. Yes, its time to make room for ogre-sized family fun with the West End musical adaptation of the hit movie ‘Shrek!’.
It is a KickstArt Theatre production and will mark the South African premier of the show, which stars Durban North’s very own Lyle Buxton in the title role of Shrek. Rory Booth plays Donkey and Jessica Sole plays Princess Fiona. Also in the cast are Jacobus van Heerden as the diminutive Lord Farquaad; Graeme Wicks as Pinocchio; Charon Williams Ros as Gingy the Gingerbread Man; and Peter Court as the ferocious fire-breathing dragon, with a huge cast of fairytale characters and a chorus of tap-dancing rats.
‘Shrek – The Musical’ is directed by Steven Stead, designed by Greg King, choreographed by Janine Bennewith, lighting by Tina le Roux with musical direction by Shelley McLean. ‘Shrek – the Musical’ has become a global phenomenon with productions staged internationally, including on West End and Broadway. It now comes to Durban with an enormous cast, a fabulous score, speedy set changes, extravagant costumes, prosthetics and make-up. It promises to be quite extraordinary, deliciously funny and a joyous romp for the whole family.
The story revolves around a benign ogre named Shrek who lives contentedly alone in a swamp. However, his solitude is disrupted when a band of disgruntled fairytale creatures shows up on his property after having been banished from the Kingdom of Duloc, on pain of death, by the evil Lord Farquaad. Irritated by having to share his swamp, Shrek journeys to see Farquaad with the intention of regaining his privacy.
On the road, he rescues a talkative donkey who insists on tagging along to show him the way. Shrek and Donkey arrive in Duloc where Farquaad demands that Shrek rescue his intended, Princess Fiona. The two unlikely friends set off to save Fiona. After a quest involving a fire-breathing dragon, Princess Fiona is ‘rescued’ from the tower by Shrek.
On the way back to Duloc, Shrek and Princess Fiona get better acquainted and Donkey tries, unsuccessfully, to match-make them. As Princess Fiona and Lord Farquaad are about to be married, there is an uprising from the fairytale characters and Princess Fiona realises that Lord Farqaad is perhaps not her champion after all. And in the tradition of all good fairy stories, the villain is vanquished, the hero finds true love, and they all live happily ever after. Booking is through Computicket.
