"Shrek - The Musical"

Nottingham Theatre Royal.

"Shrek" is the story of the swamp-dwelling Scottish ogre who, in a faraway kingdom, embarks on a life-changing adventure in order to reclaim the deed to his land.

Joined by a wise-cracking donkey who won't shut up, this unlikely hero - not a handsome prince - fights a fearsome dragon, rescues the feisty Princess Fiona and learns that real friendship and true love aren't only found in fairy tales.

I really don't like changes in established musicals, and there were a couple of changes that really affected my enjoyment of this production. That said there is still so much that I still adore about this show.

I noticed that political correctness has hit the stage with Lord Farquaad who, in the past, has always featured a standard sized actor, acting on his knees. This creates a lot of the comedy, and while I know it's wrong to  extract mirth from a character who is of a certain stature, this character in this musical gives rise to many of the jokes. None of these jokes that were in previous productions are no longer there.

"The Ballad Of Farquaad" just doesn't sit right and the comedy lines in this number also do not ring true because the comedy is regarding the fact that Farquaad is short of stature and that his Father is a little person. When the actor is of a standard size, that comedy element is wasted. Maybe the song should be cut. 

The other thing that I felt didn't seem right was that the brilliant Dragon puppet merely accompanied Cherece Richards, who was the voice of the Dragon, as well as the Wicked Witch, but what a voice. I remember that with other productions the mouth of the Dragon mimed the song while the actor produced the vocals. This way you focus more on the giant Dragon puppet, and not the actor. Gorgeous as Cherece is, and I absolutely adore the power and control in her voice, I found myself watching Cherece and not the Dragon. There's another difference I spotted as well, the song "Forever" is a new addition to this production for The Dragon.

Anthony Lawrence (Shrek) has boundless energy, even in that costume and heavy green make up, his vocals are spot on and his version of “Who I’d Be” was superb. Shrek's duet with Fiona in "I Got You Beat" gets funnier every time I see this show, and "When Words Fail" is delivered with such lovely emotion, you feel like giving Shrek a massive green hug.

Joanne Clifton (Princess Fiona) did not fail to put a smile on my face. Joanne has a lovely way of acting with her face, as well as the rest of her; and what a brilliant performer she is. Joanne shows, as she has in the past in musicals like "Flashdance" and "Eugenius", that she is so much more than a dancer, she is a fine physical actor, and is a quadruple threat with her brilliant comic timing and her fantastic voice. 

The opening of the second act I also think has been changed because there's a big tap number, headed up by Joanne, getting a chance to really show off those wonderful dance skills in "Morning Person". In the past when the scene with the Pied Piper figure comes around, there is a slight raising of the curtain to show tap shoes looking like rats, but here there's a big old song and dance tap number, which would not have been out of place in one of those big Hollywood movies. I loved the glitz and glamour and choreography in this section. Choreographed, and directed by Nick Winston with Samuel Holmes also taking Director duties.

Brandon Lee Sears (Donkey) as this lovable, goofy companion who is full of sass. You can't help but smile when he is on stage because Brandon brings such energy and comedy to this show. His voice is also notable and Donkey transforms his look and sound into a 1970's style Barry White tribute act with his song "Make A Move". The banter between Donkey and Shrek comes across as very natural, almost unscripted if you've not seen the show before.

James Gillan (Lord Farquaad) gives a big character-driven performance. The character has been revisited and instead of a rather posh demeanour, in comes a more camp version of Farquaad.  Hopefully camp theatre goers won't take any offence and political correctness brought in, in the same way as the height issue has affected the character. What I love about Farquaad though is the way his humour, in true panto style, is partly pitched just over the children's heads so that the adults get the funny side as well. And I must not fail to mention those classic Farquaad's hair flicks.

I must also mention Georgie Buckland's Gingy and Mark D'Arcy's Pinocchio, as both actors stand out, which is no mean feat when you look at how big the ensemble is. Georgie's vocal ability, which opens "Freak Flag" would not have been amiss in a gospel church, and Mark's voice and physicality is memorable.

The costumes are wonderful, full of colour, and there are so many of them. The intricate costumes and the whole feel of the show bring to mind pantomime. Philip Whitcomb's costume designs are truly spectacular. As is the make up design by Craig Forrest-Thomas plus the wigs.

Next month is the start of the Annual Puppet Festival in Nottingham, and in "Shrek" not only is there the magnificent Dragon, but Gingy The Gingerbread Man and several other smaller puppets on stage, operated with great skill.

Philip also designed the set which, I think, was also a new design, and was as spectacular as the costumes. The set, combined with the digital video design really brought the who stage and set to life. Nina Dunn is responsible for the fantastic video design. The mix between the scene changes and the digital side of the production almost make you feel as if you are watching a film, and this keeps the pace up and the scene changes seamless.

Musical Director Richard Atkinson heads up the seven piece orchestra and delivers a wonderful sounding soundtrack, arranged by Ben Atkinson.

A wonderful lighting design by Ben Cracknell that helped bring the production to life.

Ben Harrison's sound design was crystal clear, but I must just mention that there were two missed mic cues by the operator. I bang on about this with local theatre productions, so I'd be a hypocrite not to just mention that these things can occur with professional touring shows as well. I very much doubt that this will recur.

Here is a show that, like Farquaad, is not short on anything. Still a brilliant show for a family night out which cleverly hides a moral message within the entertainment value. With comedy for both kids and adults - which includes burp and fart jokes as well as a smattering of sauce - this is a show that will become a talking point for the family, even after you've left the theatre.

“Shrek – The Musical” is at the Nottingham Theatre Royal until Sunday 24 March.