I went to see Shrek with few expectations. It was funny, silly and charming. The 5 leads were excellent . It made me laugh a lot and I left with a smile on my face.

What is the plot of Shrek The Musical? Shrek The Musical is based on the hit DreamWorks animated films that featured Mike Myers and Cameron Diaz. Shrek is an ogre of seven who is sent on his way by his parents and finds out what life will be for him. Years later Shrek is angry when numerous fairy tale characters are left on his swamp by Lord Farquaad to which he cannot tolerate them being there a second longer. Shrek does not care as to what Lord Farquaad wants and so he goes to ask him so that they are removed. Whilst on his journey Shrek meets Donkey who has never asked Shrek about his behaviour. They then become friends and comes to save the swamp. They arrive in Duloc to discover that Lord Farquaad is holding a competition where the winner will rescue Princess Fiona in order to marry him. In addition Shrek will get his swamp back. What are the themes that are explored in Shrek The Musical? The themes that are explored in Shrek The Musical are family, friendship, love, inequality, isolation and unity. Cast Anthony Lawrence truly brought the character of Shrek to life. His stage presence was warm, witty and full of charisma. He conveyed the character brilliantly showing vulnerability but also how he has a big heart. He is a light-hearted ogre which makes it real and relatable with his honest words of wisdom. His vocals were powerful that vibrated around the stage. Joanne Clifton was sensational as Princess Fiona. Her stage presence was strong, sassy and determined. She truly made the role her own showing how a woman can be independent. She was likeable with a warm heart. She is not just truly talented in her dancing from Strictly but it also extends to her natural acting and singing on stage which was a joy to watch. The chemistry between Princess Fiona (Joanne Clifton) and Shrek (Anthony Lawrence) was infectious. They were a great partnership on stage. Brandon Lee Sears was incredible as Donkey. He was funny, adorable, and full of charm. His performance was impressive and we also witnessed him doing some cool dance moves too. His vocals were out of this world. James Gillian was spectacular as Lord Farquaad. Despite being evil yet he brought some flamboyance and elegance to the role. At the same time he was charming which means that it is hard not to like him. He gives a unique take on the role which he does so effortlessly. The other characters in the cast including Cheree Richards as the Dragon, Georgie Buckland as Gingy, and Mark D’arcy as Pinocchio blew me away with their sheer talents especially their spine tingling vocals. This was a talented cast whose talents all shone during this production and their team spirit was incredible working in unison regardless of how big or small their roles were. Sets The sets were simple, effective and were full of style. We were truly transported to all the locations as featured in the film including Shrek’s swamp and the dragon protected castle. In addition there is also the pit stop in Duloc and the torture chamber. The soft set changes were seamless. The sets used were creative with a playful vibe. Costumes The costumes that were used in this production designed by Philip Whitcomb were full of glamour and colour. It was evident to see that within the numerous fairy tale characters including The White Rabbit, The Big Bad Wolf, The Three Little Pigs, Peter Pan and Tinker Bell. They were dressed to be seen. Soundtrack The soundtrack for this production featured a great variety of heart felt ballads and catchy energetic numbers. Highlights included a great duet I Think I Got Your Beat between Shrek and Princess Fiona. It was a great performance showing how a relationship is developed. We see how they hate each other but this is then transformed to a friendship. This is done in hilarious fashion by burping. Another favourite was Freak Flag. It is full of positivity and has a great message in its lyrics in that it is OK to be different. The encore at the end to I Am A Believer was uplifting where the audience could clap along, sing and dance ensuring that you left the auditorium with a smile on your face. All the music was brought to life by a live band with brilliant orchestration. If you are looking for a show that is full of joy and happiness with a heart-warming story and great songs then Shrek is a musical for you.

Wife and granddaughter went. Between them they have seen most of the top end shows. They don't normally sit in the circle. But we're advised better views than the back of the stalls. Tickets were bought from the discounted ticket booth Leicester square. So good value. Would they recommend the show. Yes very much so. Asked what could be improved. Nothing

Thanks to ALL of the FANTASTIC CAST of Shrek) On a very wet cold miserable weather in Brum was completely forgotten by Fabulous dancing, marvellous acting, lot's of fun and amazing costumes. Not forgetting all the AMAZING SINGERS...Wow, just super:) If you haven't got a ticket yet try to catch this cast on tour. Big hugs to the cast to ALL involved in putting on this super show .

Show was amazing couldn’t fault anyone perfection . The characters were beyond talented. the singing voices unbelievable ..costumes and set magical …

The acting, the signing and the whole show was just brilliant. We do the theatre a lot and this is in my top 3 favourites. I’ve seen a lot of reviews by parents complaining their children were bored, but my 7 year old son sat through the whole thing absolutely obsessed, he didn’t take his eyes of the stage. We seen a few people leave but this was just due to younger children struggling to sit through the show. It really was brilliant, I couldn’t find one thing to complain about. We all loved it! The actress who played the dragon has the most amazing voice! She really stood out for me and was my favourite! And the actress who played the gingerbread man was great, she got the voice spot on! :) 10000% recommend!