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Once
Upon A Time...
Shrek
The Musical
Sunderland
Empire
Until
Sunday 22nd November 2015
The hugely popular
animated film has become an entertaining musical that will be a firm family
favourite.
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Photo: Helen Maybanks
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The show begins with
Shrek coming out of a huge book to describe his tragic upbringing. Thrown out
of his family home at the age of 7. Villagers felt it appropriate to try to
torch the poor ogre, so he set up a base in a squalid swamp. But at least it
was his swamp and he could call it home.
Princess Fiona feels she
didn’t have the ideal childhood either as she was sent to a castle keep.
Guarded by a fiery dragon she was alone for many years. She waited, as the
fairytales suggest, for a handsome prince to come along and rescue her.
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Photo: Helen Maybanks
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Shrek’s life goes from bad
to worse when Lord Farquaad decrees that all of the storybook characters like
the 3 little pigs and the big bad wolf must leave his Kingdom. They are
despatched to Shrek’s swamp. This is an intolerable situation so he heads off
to the kingdom, Duloc, in order to give Lord Farquaad a piece of his mind. He
hopes to get his swamp back. Along the way he crosses the path of Donkey who
immediately wants to be his friend.
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Photo: Helen Maybanks
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When they arrive,
Farquaad has just been torturing the Gingerbread Man in order to find out where
Princess Fiona is. He decides someone must go, fight the dragon, and return
with his princess. Shrek agrees to get Fiona on the condition he gets his swamp
back and so the adventures begin.
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Photo: Helen Maybanks
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Dean Chisnall is more
than capable of filling Shrek’s huge shoes. The ogre may dislike the company of
others but he is loveable and the youngsters laugh at the breaking wind jokes.
His companion Donkey, played by Idriss Kargbo doesn’t seem to take the hint and
they make a great couple.
The role of Fiona
involves a number of high speed changes in appearance and Bronté Barbé tackles
these well. She is backed up by Laura Baldwin as the teen Fiona and another
cast member as the young Fiona. The trio were very quick at swapping positions
during one number.
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Photo: Helen Maybanks
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The stealer of the show
was Gerard Carey as Lord Farquaad who frequently had the audience laughing
whenever he was on stage. His comic timing and great singing voice quickly
endeared him to the audience.
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Photo: Helen Maybanks
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The dragon, too, was a
brilliant display of puppetry as the giant creature swept across the Empire
stage. The ensemble had to play numerous
roles and tackle the puppetry. They were
often entertaining and an intrinsic part of the comedy routines.
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Photo: Helen Maybanks
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Shrek the musical
involves quite a large and highly talented live orchestra under the careful
musical direction of Dave Rose. They were able to fill the auditorium with the
music and did not put a foot wrong all night. This is no juke box musical and,
with the exception of the final show closing number, the songs have been written
for the show. Perhaps they are not the most memorable numbers on the first
hearing but the do well to tell the story.
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Photo: Helen Maybanks
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Shrek was funny. I
brought my 12 year old son along and he really enjoyed it and appreciated the
humour. That said, just like the best of the children’s animation films, there
were funny bits in for the parents too.
This year we don’t have
to wait for panto season to begin in order to bring the family to the theatre.
Shrek has a broad appeal, it is both pleasant and amusing.
Read the original North
East Theatre Guide preview: http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/preview-shrek-musical-at-sunderland.html
This
review was written by Stephen Oliver for the North East
Theatre Guide from Jowheretogo PR (www.jowheretogo.com).
Follow Jo on twitter @jowheretogo, Stephen @panic_c_button or like Jowheretogo
on Facebook www.facebook.com/Jowheretogo
Tickets
Tickets available in
person at the Box Office on High Street West,
from the Ticket Centre on 0844 871 3022* or online at www.ATGtickets.com/Sunderland*
Groups 10+: 0844 871 3042
*Transaction fee applies to telephone and online bookings.
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