Theatre Royal, Drury
Lane
26th January, 2013
Screen to stage musicals sometimes make theatregoers hesitant
to go to see them, perhaps thinking that they are simply a producer’s way to
make easy money. However, I was pleasantly surprised by Shrek the Musical at Drury Lane as it proved to be a fun, funny and
extremely clever piece of theatre.
Firstly, before I saw the show I heard that the musical
references other musicals akin to how the film references other films, leaving
me looking out for them during the show. A chorus line of tap-dancing rats
alludes to A Chorus Line, waving a
flag with a face similar to the Les Mis Cosette
logo undoubtedly is a reference to Les
Miserables, there are Shakespeare references, a parody of the end of
Defying Gravity from Wicked and a
pastiche from The Lion King. These were
just some of the musical references which make Shrek post-modern. These references are fitting for Shrek as it’s a story littered with
allusions to well-known fairy tales so by acknowledging the world of theatre
outside the walls of the Theatre Royal mirrors the way Shrek mentions, and turns on their head, moments of popular children’s
stories.
Other things which make the show post-modern could be the
references to Will and Kate’s castle and Donkey’s take on Usain Bolt’s the
lightning bolt. However, there is also a self-consciousness about this piece of
theatre which makes it particularly interesting. For instance, the story is
framed with Shrek telling the audience his story, the opening being made up of
a line of story books, one of which Shrek comes out to tell us his back story
of being sent away to live in a swamp, shortly followed by Princess Fiona,
whose own back story runs parallel with the ogre’s. Lines such as ‘cue the
villagers’ and ‘this is the part where you’re meant to run away’ are fairly
theatrical and make clear that Shrek
not only is self-aware as a piece of theatre but also places itself in the
world and language of story-telling.
It’s in the second act where the story’s morale lesson is
explored deeper when we learn how Princess Fiona and Shrek aren’t so different
after all (‘I Got You Beat’) and how being different can be a good thing (‘Freak
Flag,’ featuring an impressive performance from Alice Fearn as Gingy). Carley
Stenson is very funny as Princess Fiona and Dean Chisnall’s understudy Bradley
Jaden is also great as Shrek. However, it is Neill McDermott’s camp Lord
Farquaad who is most impressive spending nearly all of the show on his knees to
much comic effect as he yearns to be in a stage show himself.
The balcony on Saturday evening was fairly noisy but then
again maybe that is to be expected with a family show which has so many lines
from the film franchise and ‘gimmick’-like references to other children’s
stories. Another problem is that Richard Blackwood’s Donkey doesn’t quite reach
the comic heights of Eddie Murphy’s performance and I can’t help but wonder that
if you haven’t seen the films (who hasn’t) then you might have problems keeping
up with the pace of the show and might not be able to relate to the main
characters. Speaking of the main characters, even though Shrek is billed as the
star of the show, there seems to be just as much focus is on Fiona, Donkey and
the show-stealing Lord Farquaad.
Michael Billington noted that the music didn’t quite fill him
with a feeling of euphoria like a musical should but I think that Jeanine Tesori’s
score is nearly capable of doing that but it wasn’t quite uplifting enough to
go through you and give you goose bumps. Tim Hatley’s design seems small
compared to some other shows that have been on at this theatre in recent years (although
Drury Lane has a nice link with the films) but there are plenty of different
set pieces including a very impressive rope bridge (‘we crossed a bridge – that’s
a nice metaphor’ cries Donkey) and a huge puppet dragon which flies over the
audience at the end.
Perhaps it seems pretentious talking about the many layers of
performance with a show like Shrek
but as well it being post-modern like the films it is also a brilliant family
show that fits in with many other screen-to-stage and children’s literature
musicals and plays at the moment. I highly recommend you go and see it before
it closes.
On a side note, thanks to the FOH and box office staff at
Drury Lane for helping us with reallocating seats after letting us in a week
early than we should have been there! They were very helpful.
Now in its final weeks, Shrek
the Musical plays at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane until 24th
February, 2013.