The opening song in Shrek - the musical, is A Big, Bright, Beautiful World and that is exactly what Curtain Up Productions has created in their 2025 musical. It is a marvellous, magical visual feast directed by Greg Snape, a new director for Curtain Up but someone well-known to me through his work across Lincolnshire having reviewed many shows he has directed, and this latest production does not disappoint. It is bold, sharp and epic in scale. The choreography by Kirsty Channon is outstanding and she is blessed with a cast that can really make the dancing pop. There are big chorus routines, as you would expect, a large tap number that looks great, and the most sultry blind mice you have ever witnessed. I absolutely applaud Channon's choreography in this show. Simon Percy returns as Musical Director and his band sound stunning, something that has to be witnessed live and just highlights how much of a difference having a live band really makes to a show.
The story is based on the 2001 film Shrek which was itself based on a children's book about a lonely ogre whose peace and tranquility is disturbed when a horde of fairy tale folk are repatriated from Duloc to Shrek's swamp. Shrek is determined to petition Lord Farquaad to have them all moved on, but the evil Farquaad sets Shrek an impossible challenge before he will remove the fairy tale folk. Shrek has to rescue a princess from a fire-breathing dragon's clutches and bring her back to marry Farquaad. The princess, Fiona, has been captive in a tower for most of her life and simply desires true love. From there the plot thickens!
As Shrek, local fan favourite Rob Bishop does not disappoint. I have been a fan of Bishop myself, for a number of years and fondly remember his musical Back to the 80s which had a fifteen date tour planned but was scuppered by COVID, a real shame. Here, he is a strong presence, unrecognisable under the layers of prosthetics which perfectly mirror the look you expect for the ogre. It must be a real challenge to perform under all that make-up but Bishop makes it look easy with his portrayal of the avuncular green giant. Bishop gives Shrek a lilting, soft Scottish accent which adds to the charm of his performance and the audience will be rooting for him until he can get his own happy ending.
Princess Fiona is performed by Rosie Munyard who creates a funny, feisty, though sometimes flaky character that is a strong independent woman with a deeply held secret. Munyard is a consummate performer who is able to sing, dance and act with ease and has amazing comic skill and timing. Her Princess Fiona is no meek princess in need of a man to rescue her and provides a role model for all the little princesses who will come to see the show. I first saw Munyard in a production in Louth where I felt she stood out and was not surprised to see how well she performed in Shrek.
Shrek's erstwhile partner on his adventure is Donkey, an annoyingly fast-talking creature who is cowardly but loyal and who sees what Shrek cannot as the relationship between Shrek and Fiona grows. The role is performed brilliantly by Nicola Law, who is hilarious. Underneath what must be a sweatbox of a costume, Law gives an intuitive comic performance second to none. Her timing, her physical comedy and her facial expressions are superb and to see the band roaring with laughter in the pit at her performance during the dress rehearsal was a testament to her skill. I defy anyone not to find her funny.
The malevolent villain of the piece is Lord Farquaad, played with aplomb by Phil Jones who clearly relishes his dream role. He proves there is no such thing as a small role, just a short character with overly-grand ambitions. Jones absolutely milks the role for all it is worth and it is a fantastic role, but to spend the entirety of the show effectively crawling around must physically takes its toll but you would never know. Jones commands the stage with a confidence and comic skill essential in this role. He sings and and dances and is so funny as the ego-maniacal, would-be king. You will not be disappointed.
There are so many fabulous cameo roles in this play and I know that I cannot do all of them justice, all I can say is go and see for yourself. Some of the notable cameos include Wesley Moxon as Pinocchio whose falsetto voice must be difficult to keep up. Sally-Ann Eaglestone-Scout is incredible as the personification of the enormous dragon we see, Eaglestone-Scout absolutely commands the stage when she sings and is so comfortable with the huge vocal required for the dragon.
The two younger iterations of Princess Fiona played by Isabella and Tilly are wonderful - they both have a commanding presence and fabulous singing voices and were perfect as youthful representations of Rosie Munyard's Fiona. Two other young performers, Noah and Freddie are excellent too as Baby Bear and Young Shrek cast out by his family at seven years of age. I also really enjoyed Gemma Williams' portrayal of the gingerbread man and the Sugar Plum Fairy.
With a cast of over 40 it is impossible to single everyone out but they all contribute beautifully to the overall scale of teh production and are to be congratulated on creating a fabulous production that will allow their "Freak Flag" to fly!
I also recommend that patrons remember to take some cash to buy the beautifully produced programmes. Similar programmes from professional productions charge around £10 and Curtain Up's are an absolute steal at £3. The show runs from 29 January to 1 February and tickets can be purchased from the Auditorium box office but are at highly limited availability right now, so don't hesitate and book yours today.
Andy Evans 29 January 2025
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