Shrek – The Musical

The doors were open again and despite an audience wearing face-masks and 50% capacity, there was a heightened buzz in the air. This was, after all, the first major production to open at QPAC after the Coronavirus lockdown.

Shrek The Musical is based on Dreamworks hugely successful 2001 animated motion picture and the 1990 book by William Steig, about a green ogre, Shrek (Ben Mingay) whose swamp has been invaded by various fairytale characters who have been kicked out of Duloc by the diminutive Lord Faquaad (Todd McKenney).

In his efforts to reclaim his swamp, Shrek agrees to rescue the Princess Fiona (Lucy Durack) from her tower for Farqaad, who intends to marry her. But when Shrek discovers she is an ogre too, he falls in love with her instead. Add in a sassy-talking Donkey (Nat Jobe), some tap-dancing rats, and a fire-belching Dragon voiced in diva-style by Marcia Hines, and you have a musical that not only pleases kids, but adults as well.

A sluggish first act gives way to a second that is headed by the show-stopper ‘Morning Person’, brilliantly executed by Durack as Fiona. The stage chemistry engendered by Durack and Mingay is palpable, and the infamous farting and belching scene from the movie is hilariously duplicated in ‘I Think I Got You Beat’. Mingay’s luxurious tenor is showcased on the tender ‘When Words Fail’, whilst Durack does well with her teen and younger self in ‘I Know It’s Today’.

McKenney is a riot of fun as Faquaad, playing it in pantomime villain mode on his knees and being particularly amusing in the glitzy production numbers, ‘The Ballad of Farqaad’ and ‘What’s Up Duloc?’

Tim Hatley’s puppet dragon (animated by four puppeteers), is a spectacular showpiece that fills the stage and belches fire, whilst his sets and costumes marvelously encapsulate the storybook look of the book and movie.

Jeanine Tesori’s score is a mixture of pop-inflected ditties and Broadway of the sixties, with David Lindsay-Abaire’s lyrics supplying some occasional wit.

This production springs from the UK tour, which was directed by Jason Moore and Rob Ashford and has been faithfully reproduced by local creatives, Luke Joslin (direction), Dave Skelton (Musical Director) and Cristina D’Agostino (Choreograhy). It ends with an all-stops-out version of Neil Diamond’s sixties hit ‘I’m a Believer’, which was also in the original movie.

With theatres dark in the rest of the world, how lucky are we in Brisbane to be reveling in a live production again. It’s not the greatest musical in the world but it’s not short of entertainment either.

Peter Pinne

Photographer: Brian Geach