On a wet and windy night in Blackpool the quest for a fairytale happy ending has taken on extra meaning.
Forced to postpone from 2020 (a cruel two weeks before opening night), Blackpool Operatic Players have clearly put everything into finally bringing Shrek The Musical to the stage.
And, with an outstanding professional set and wardrobe, tonight is a vibrant, visual delight, faithfully translating the hit animation into live action success.
Under the assured direction of Neil Townsend, cast and audience alike have a hugely enjoyable show loaded with slapstick, sarcasm and fart jokes to thrill kids and parents alike. And, at the heart of it, a riotous send-up of the classic ‘damsel in distress’ fairytale narrative.
For those who have spent any of the past 22 years living under a rock, our tale follows Shrek, an antisocial ogre who is dispatched by the diminutive Lord Farquaad, to rescue the beautiful Princess Fiona from her dragon-guarded tower, and reclaim ownership of his beloved swamp, aided and annoyed by Donkey, the best friend he never asked for.
Ian Fox is superb as our titular anti-hero, with excellent delivery of Shrek’s acid tongued barbs, softened by that famous Scottish lilt, and wonderful singing.
As Donkey, Frazer Mundy is a good foil to Shrek, with bags of restless energy and great physicality. His accent is a bit uneven – swaying from brash Eddie Murphy-esque sass to something that sounds a touch more public schoolboy – but he delights the audience as he chips away at Shrek’s emotional armour.
And Eden Kippax is a delight as Princess Fiona, with fantastic vocals and just the right amount of chutzpah to lift her away from your classic, sappy fairy princess.
Callum Morley steals every scene he is in and is immense fun to watch as the nefarious Farquaad, despite an early (and thankfully corrected) microphone malfunction that makes it sound like he’s singing in a bucket.
And special mention must go to Stephanie Goodridge who provides a blisteringly brilliant singing voice for our dragon (backed by a gob smacking puppet), Jack Price as Pinocchio (with a voice that sounds like it came straight out of the film) and the excellent younger versions of Shrek and Fiona (tonight played by Theo Bardaj, and Lucy Fowler, with Tasha Southern as the teenage Fiona).
MD Chris Andrews (with the assistance of Chorus Master George Baldwin) leads a well-drilled orchestra and ensemble, and Julie Segev has created effective choreography (‘What’s up Duloc?’ and a Pied Piper led chorus line of tap-dancing rats are show highlights).
Overall, it’s a knockout show. A few untidy scene transitions (which often add to the hilarity) and the occasional bum note in the ensemble singing are the only things that stop this from being indistinguishable from any professional show to grace the Grand’s stage. It’s definitely been worth the wait.
Shrek the Musical runs till Saturday 8th April. For tickets and What’s On at the Blackpool Grand, visit https://www.blackpoolgrand.co.uk/
Reviewer: Lou Steggals
Reviewed 5th April 2023
North West End UK Rating: ★★★★