Presented by
John Frost and Glass Half Full Productions in association with Neal Street
Productions and Playful Productions.
Directed by
Jason Moore and Rob Ashford. Musical Direction by Dave Skelton
Sydney Lyric Theatre – 5th January
to 9th February 2020.
Sydney
opening night reviewed by Bill Stephens
 |
| Ben Mingay (Shrek) - Nat Job (Donkey - Lucy Durak (Princess Fiona) |
The story of
how a lonely green ogre and a beautiful fairy-tale princess find true love
through mutual flatulence forms the basis of this delightfully silly musical.
Adapted from
the popular DreamWorks animated film, which itself was based on a book by
William Steig, “SHREK The Musical”,
traces the travails of a lonely ogre, Shrek, (Ben Mingay) who discovers that
his swamp has suddenly been occupied by an assortment of recognisable fairy-tale characters who’ve been banished by the evil, short-statured,
Lord Farquaad (Todd McKenney). Farquaad’s planning to marry Princess Fiona,
(Lucy Durack) currently imprisoned in a tower guarded by a fearsome dragon
(Marcia Hines).
 |
| Nat Jobe (Donkey) and the dragon (Marcia Hines) |
Anxious to
regain his swamp, and his privacy, Shrek decides to visit Farquaad and demand
his swamp back. Along the way he rescues a donkey (Nat Jobe) who takes it on
himself to accompany Shrek on his journey.
Farquaad
agrees to return the swamp to Shrek on the proviso that Shrek rescues Princess
Fiona from the tower, and return her to him. You don’t need a spoiler alert to
guess that Shrek and Fiona discover their mutual attraction but you’ll have to
see the show yourself if you want to know how they overcome the complications which
arise.
 |
| Shrek (Ben Mingay) and the fairy tale characters in the swamp. |
David
Lindsay-Abaire’s book and lyrics are witty, and it’s fun to follow the back
stories of the various fairy-tale characters portrayed by the talented and
hardworking ensemble. Jeanine Tesori’s score is catchy, with spectacular picture-book
settings and costumes, along with some magical puppets including a magnificent dragon,
a talking ginger-bread man, and a loveable scurry of tap-dancing rats, all
designed by Tim Hatley.
Jason Moore
and Rob Ashford’s direction, meticulously reproduced here by Jenny Sawyer, embellished
with snappy and impeccably danced choreography by Josh Prince, replete with
witty Broadway references, and a superb band under the direction of David
Skelton, allows “SHREK The musical” to bubble along with enough surprises, both
visual and verbal, to keep the littlies and their minders captivated until the
very end.
But there’s
more. This production is blessed with a top-line cast who manage to find the
humanity, as well as the humour, in roles which could so easily have simply
been pantomime characters, so that the underlying messages of inclusiveness,
and being satisfied with who you are, are allowed to land gently.
 |
| Lucy Durak (Princess Fiona) and Ben Mingay (Shrek) |
Despite his cumbersome
fat suit and thick green latex make-up , Ben Mingay delights with his lovable,
if occasionally churlish, Shrek. His confident acting, thoughtful phrasing and
distinctive, soaring baritone ensure that each of his songs is a joy to listen
to.
Also no
slouch in the vocal department, Lucy Durack revels in the opportunities
provided by her role as the feisty Princess Fiona to exercise her considerable
comedic talents. Her interactions with Mingay are delightful, particularly in
the farting scene, which on opening night reduced several small boys in the
audience to helpless giggles.
Nat Jobe captured
just the right level of sassiness to make his donkey both funny and loveable, Marcia
Hines, as the dragon, raises the roof with her stunning off-stage rendition of “Forever”,
then returning for the finale, this time in full view and spectacularly
costumed, to lift the audience out of their seats with the red-hot
interpretation of the best song in the show, “I’m a Believer”.
 |
| Todd McKenney (Lord Farquaad), Rubin Matters (Knight) |
But perhaps best of all is Todd McKenney,
demonstrating his genuine star quality, playing his entire role on his knees,
while chewing up the scenery, to create an unforgettable Lord Farquaad, surely one
of the funniest, most bizarre and memorable musical theatre villains you’re
ever likely to come across.
Photos - Brian Geach.
This review also appears in AUSTRALIAN ARTS REVIEW. www.artsreview.com.au
