Review of Shrek the Musical

From the moment the curtains are raised and the opening scene begins you know you are in for a real theatrical treat.  We returned from The Lowry having watched Shrek the Musical and I have to admit it was nothing short of spectacular.  I am huge fan of the Shrek films and wondered if the transition to a theatre show would result in some of the appeal of the original being lost however, I can say the show is as magical, funny and enchanting as the original was. Here’s our review of Shrek the Musical.

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The story of Shrek is now as common as most traditional tales.  The story of how a recluse, green orge finds true love after freeing a feisty Princess, with his sidekick donkey, there to aid him on his quest.  The story of Shrek works so well and brings to live in a very tongue in cheek manner, many characters from the story tales of old.  During the show yesterday it was great to watch my daughter recognising them all and I think the younger children would delight in seeing their fairytale characters on the stage.

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When a blockbuster animation film is made into a show I do wonder how the show will add anything extra to what we have already watched time and time again.  However, we were not disappointed on this count either as not only was the change to a theatre show a seamless transition, the Musical also develops the story of Shrek, Fiona and even Lord Farquuad and how they have ended up being the adults they are.  Maya is 7, like the young Shrek and Fiona were and we had a panicked princess in the interval worrying she was to be locked up and taken away to a tall tower far, far away!  I loved that extras were added to the show to put on a whole different spin to the show without taking anything away from the original.

The show is a real west end delight with all the ingredients you expect from a show of such a standing.  I love that these shows are now touring around the country giving the chance for everyone to experience theatre at its very best, showcasing to the next generation how the spectacle of live shows can leave l impressions on you!

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What we loved

  • The songs and choreography were fantastic.  The characters were all bright and stunning to look at and the final execution with the songs and acting was perfect.  I adored the puppetry used for the dragon and the singer was truly breathtaking!
  • The best song of the show (aside from Then I Saw Your Face) was the one following the story of Princes Fiona awaiting to be rescued from her tower.  From the amazingly talented young Fiona to the older, more feisty Fiona, the song was pure theatrical perfection, with the change of sets and characters to show the passing of time.
  • The costumes and sets were visually stunning and you know you are watching a true world class show.  Each and every character in the show was great and shined in the role that they played.  Our favourites are Gingy and Donkey both of which were just as we imagined!  Maya was really impressed with how the Gingerbread man was able to move his eyebrows and mouth and I can just imagine how magical it would be for the younger children.
  • The show worked as well as the film in seamlessly bringing together adult and children’s humour into one fantastic and hilarious package.  The children (and Doc) were in fits of  have been talking about the farting / burping competition that Fiona and Shrek had whilst there was tons of humour for the adults especially Lord Farquuad whose performance was hilarious.
  • The number of songs was ideal for a family audience as I am always wary of taking younger children to such long shows with the amount of talking, i do spot lots of younger children start to get bored. However, the songs were plentiful and each was a real delight.

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Overall we had a fantastic evening and show was definitely one that I would wholeheartedly recommend to families.  There is music, fun and a whole barrel of laughs, this is feel goof, family theatre of the highest level.  The show is on in the Lowry until 20th February 2016.  If you get a chance to watch the show it is one of the best we’ve watched!

 

Nisbah

I am a traveller, mother and blogger. We love to go on adventures (big and small, near and far) and strive to show our children how amazing and beautiful the world is! I caught the travel bug many moons ago and despite having three little adventurers, I still suffer from "itchy" feet. We love the great outdoors and one another. Come and join the fun :)

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4 Responses

  1. Notmyyearoff says:

    It sounds so good, I might look into it. I loved your photos of your dinner at the Lowry too. Looked delicious!

  2. It sounds a fantastic show and I didn’t realise Shrek had come to the Lowry. I feel like my kids have been brought up with Shrek and I am sure they would love to see the show at the theatre x

  3. Becky Cowley says:

    This looks brilliant and like you had a really good time x

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