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Beautiful ain't always pretty: Dean Chisnall as Shrek about to rescue Princess Fiona played by Bronté Barbé. Pictures: Helen Maybanks Shrek – The Musical
Wolverhampton Grand
***** SO what’s fun, a little portly and just a
might malodorous, flatulent – oh and did I mention Green? It must be
Shrek. If you have a giant, green, friendly (a bit
grumpy sometimes mind) ogre who is . . . gastronomically expressive at
both ends, a rescued princess who can match him in the gas powered
department, a talking wisecracking donkey and
The Oscar winning
animated film was a huge hit with enough in it to appeal to adults as
well as children and that formula is continued in the musical with
plenty of asides and witty lines hidden in songs as well as affectionate
references to a whole host of other films from
Dirty Dancing
through to Les Miserables
tucked into the script from David Lindsay-Abaire, who also wrote the
lyrics to Jeanine Tesori’s music.
Songs ranged from the catchy to the more thoughtful and even sad ballads as we followed Shrek, not so much abandoned as sent out to find his own way in the world by his parents at the age of seven, in his quest to find solitude in his own swamp. The swamp he lived in has been overrun after
becoming the enforced home to a whole host of fairytale characters
exiled from Dulac by the evil, and remarkably funny Prince Farquaad
played by Gerard Carey. Carey must be one of the few actors where
calloused knees are an occupational hazard as he prances and dances the
vertically challenged (by about three foot) prince about the stage. It
is a glorious performance, a real comic gem. Dean Chisnall has played Shrek so long and for so
many times his skin must be turning naturally green by now. He is the
only person still in the show who was in the first UK performance of
Shrek in 2011 and took over the lead role in February 2012.
It all results in a very comfortable and
believable performance by an actor who has made a role his own. He makes
Shrek real for adults and children alike. We all know he is an ogre, and
just another fairy story but we care about him and he gets sympathetic
“awes” from the audience whenever things are going wrong for him. Idriss Kargbo takes on the Eddie Murphy film role
of the donkey and is Which brings us to the beautiful Princess Fiona
played by Bronté Barbé, who, incidentally started the tour as Little Red
Riding Hood before being elevated to royalty in July this year and she
gives a regal, sassy performance allied to a great voice. Fiona has been imprisoned in a tower - apparently
it is the fate of all the best princesses - awaiting rescue by a
handsome, dashing prince, or, in this case, a somewhat well padded,
handsome only if you like bald with green skin and ears on stalks, ogre.
Guarding her to prevent rescue is a brilliant
singing dragon, raced around stage by four puppeteers and with a bluesy
jazz voice to die for from Candace Furbert who also doubles as Fairy
Godmother. The puppeteers don’t get off that easy by the
way, Will Haswell is a guard and the cleverly done Pinocchio, Keith
Henderson is a guard and a rather elderly Peter Pan, Tyan Reid is a pig,
a guard and a bishop while Kevin Yates is a pig and a guard. – no rest
for the wicked, or good or indeed anyone in fairytale land who provide a
hardworking and slick ensemble.
A mention too for musical director Dave Rose and
his 12 piece band The result was a lot of very excited, very tired
and very happy children and plenty of smiling adults heading off into
the night air and you can’t ask more than that. Directed by Nigel
Harman, Shrek runs to 11-10-15. Roger Clarke
01-10-15
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another who makes it his own in a performance laced with fun. Like
Carey, and indeed Chisnell, he has been with the tour since the start
and the three work well together