So, dear reader, forgive my fairy tale preamble, and perhaps, from that you might imagine this show isn't up to much and sadly you would be right. Shrek when it toured before to Northampton was a little light on content but a visual feast and brought to life by one of the funniest characters in shows of this ilk, Lord Farquaad. The character in all his diminutive state was pure fun and comedy, the performer on his knees and the best lines and humour as a result.
Our other leads have a little more success, Antony Lawrence is a striking presence as the titular Shrek but does play second fiddle to other characters despite his name on the show. Brandon Lee Sears as the Donkey comes out best really from this show, filling his scenes with energy and comic poses and looks making him the clear crowd favourite. Finally of the main characters, Joanne Clifton is a solid and likeable Princess Fiona, but does at times play the role with too much brattishness and annoying manner, with little softness of character to add belief to the role.
The world of Shrek on stage is created much more from projections this time, with much less physical set making it look a little cheap despite the projections being generally very good, if a little disjointed at times. The dragon (sung beautifully it has to be said by Cherece Richards) is slightly poorly realised also in comparison to previous versions in an almost obvious reduction in production costs.
In this production, Shrek is something you may enjoy or something you grit your teeth through. If you haven't seen the stage show before, you won't feel deprived of the splendour and endless humour from the Lord and get carried along for the ride (many of the kids loved the show). Those who have been to this fairy tale world before might find it far from as fantastical as it once was though sadly.
Entertaining once again, but some production decisions leave it really lacking compared to previous versions.
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