PRINCIPAL CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR SHREK THE MUSICAL UK & IRELAND TOUR.
ANTONY LAWRENCE will play SHREK, JOANNE CLIFTON will play FIONA, JAMES GILLAN will play LORD FARQUAAD and BRANDON LEE SEARS will play DONKEY in the brand-new touring production of ‘SHREK THE MUSICAL’.
Directed and choreographed by Nick Winston and co-directed by SAM HOLMES, the shrektacular production will paint the town green this summer, opening in Plymouth on 21 July 2023 and touring through to April 2024.
Producers Mark Goucher, Gavin Kalin and Matthew Gale are delighted to announced a Shrektacular principal cast line-up including Joanne Clifton (Princess Fiona), Anthony Lawrence (Shrek), James Gillan (Lord Farquaad) and Brandon Lee Sears (Donkey) in the brand-new production of Shrek the Musical. Opening at Theatre Royal Plymouth on 21 July 2023, the smash hit musical will tour through to April 2024 to a total of 31 venues.
Anthony Lawrence (Shrek) recently played Scar in The Lion King (International Tour) as well as performing in Mary Poppins (National Tour), Matilda the Musical (Cambridge Theatre/RSC) and We Will Rock You (International Arena Tour).
Best known for her time on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, after winning the World Professional Showdance Champion and the European Professional Ballroom Championship, Joanne Clifton (Fiona) joined the iconic TV show as a professional dancer. During her time on the show she won the Christmas Special with McFly’s Harry Judd and went on to win the glitterball trophy as the 2016 champion with her partner Ore Oduba. On stage Joanne Clifton was most recently seen in Windfall (Southwark Playhouse) and The Addams Family (UK Tour).
Olivier Award-nominee James Gillan (Lord Farquaad) most recently created the role of Tray in Everybody’s talking About Jamie (Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue) – a role he stayed with through the show’s entire West End run. He also performed in Everybody’s talking About Jamie at the Ahmanson Theatre in LA for its six-week run.
Brandon Lee Sears (Donkey) most recently played the role of Jimmy Early in Dreamgirls (UK tour). His previous theatre credits include the original West End productions of Be More Chill (Shaftesbury), Come From Away (Phoenix); Heathers (Theatre Royal Haymarket); Motown the Musical (Shaftesbury); and On the Town (Regents Park).
On 27 February 2023, the cast of Shrek the Musical will perform at BBC Big Night of the Musicals at Manchester’s AO Arena. The programme will be shown in a special 90-minute presentation on BBC One and on BBC Radio 2 in the spring.
From the producers of Hairspray and Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Shrek the Musical brings together a new creative team to re-image this award-winning Broadway and West End hit show for a new audience, featuring all the classic characters from the Oscar®-winning DreamWorks animated film and the iconic songs and story from David Lindsay-Abaire and Jeanine Tesori’s original musical.
Shrek the Musical opens at Plymouth Theatre Royal on 21 July 2023 and then tours to Manchester, Dublin, Bristol, Southend, Carlisle, Aberdeen, Oxford, Wimbledon, Dartford, Northampton, Bradford, Woking, Eastbourne, Cardiff, York, Blackpool and in 2024: Glasgow Kings, Edinburgh Playhouse, Coventry Belgrade, Sunderland Empire, Liverpool Empire, Southampton Mayflower, Milton Keynes Theatres, Hull New, Cheltenham Everyman, Nottingham Playhouse, Norwich Theatre Royal, Grand Opera House Belfast, The Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham and The Millenium Forum, Derry.
The team joining forces to re-create the bright and beautiful world of Shrek the Musical includes acclaimed director and choreographer Nick Winston (Bonnie and Clyde, Arts Theatre; Beauty and the Beast, UK tour), co-director Sam Holmes (Club Tropicana the Musical), who returns to the swamp having played Lord Farquaad in the previous UK tour. Set and costume design will be by Philip Witcomb (Bonnie & Clyde (Garrick Theatre); Jack & The Beanstalk, Everyman Theatre Cheltenham). Further creative team includes Ben Cracknel (Lighting), Jim Arnold (Casting) and Ben Harrison (Sound).
Based on the Oscar winning DreamWorks film, the Broadway and West End smash hit Shrek the Musical is a fun filled and hilarious musical comedy with a cast of vibrant characters and a ‘shrektackular’ score.
Featuring the beloved Princess Fiona, the evil Lord Farquaad, a host of magical fairy-tale characters and fabulous songs including the smash hit ‘I’m a Believer’, Shrek the Musical is a ‘musical extravaganza for big kids and little kids alike’ (Bristol Post).
Come join the adventure as Shrek and Donkey endeavour to complete their quest, finding unexpected friendships and surprising romance along the way.
21 July 2023 – 29 July 2023 Plymouth Theatre Royal
1 August – 12 August 2023 Opera House Manchester
15 August – 20 August 2023 Bord Gais Energy Theatre
22 August – 27 August 2023 Bristol Hippodrome
29 August – 2 September 2023 The Cliffs Pavilion, Southend
5 September – 10 September 2023 The Sands Centre, Carlisle
12 September – 16 September 2023 His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen
19 September – 24 September 2023 Oxford New Theatre
26 September – 30 September 2023 New Wimbledon Theatre
2 October – 7 October 2023 Orchard Theatre, Dartford
10 October – 15 October 2023 Royal & Derngate, Northampton
17 October – 22 October 2023 Leicester Curve
24 October – 28 October 2023 The Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
30 October – 4 September 2023 New Victoria Theatre, Woking
13 – 18 November 2023 Eastbourne Congress Theatre
20 November – 25 November 2023 Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff
27 November – 2 December 2023 Grand Opera House York
12 December – 30 December 2023 Blackpool Winter Gardens
15 January – 20 January 2024 Glasgow Kings Theatre
22 January – 27 January 2024 Edinburgh Playhouse
30 January – 4 February 2024 Coventry Belgrade
6 February – 10 February 2024 Sunderland Empire
12 February – 17 February 2024 Liverpool Empire
20 February – 25 February 2024 Southampton Mayflower
27 February – 3 March 2024 Milton Keynes Theatres
5 March – 10 March 2024 Hull New Theatre
12 March – 17 March 2024 Cheltenham Everyman
19 March – 24 March 2024 Nottingham Theatre Royal
26 March – 30 March 2024 Norwich Theatre Royal
2 April – 6 April 2024 Grand Opera House Belfast
9 April – 14 April 2024 The Alexandra, Birmingham
16 April – 21 April 2024 Millennium Forum, Londonderry
Riverdance – 30 The New Generation
