Shrek the Musical

After the College’s roaring success of shows such as Little Shop of Horrors in 2024, Legally Blonde in 2023 and Matilda in 2022, we knew as a department that we had to keep the bar high! After many discussions in the Performing Arts Department (did somebody say Mamma Mia?!) which – as always – involve lots of snacks – we decided on Shrek. What isn’t there to love about a green ogre, a silly old king, a crazy donkey, a precious princess etc…amidst a soundtrack that will even make the meanest of hearts crack a smile?!

The story goes that Shrek lives in peaceful isolation in his ugly green swamp. His solitude is ruined when a crowd of homeless fairy-tale misfits (like Pinocchio, the Three Little Pigs, and the Gingerbread Man) are exiled from the kingdom by the vertically challenged Lord Farquaad. Frustrated by the noise, Shrek goes to confront Farquaad. Farquaad agrees to give the fairy-tale creatures their homes back, but only if Shrek rescues Princess Fiona from a tower guarded by a dragon so Farquaad can marry her and become King.

Accompanied (somewhat thanklessly) by his new, talkative sidekick Donkey, Shrek successfully rescues Fiona. During the trek back, the unlikely pair bond and Shrek begins to fall in love with her. However, Fiona harbours a dark secret: a curse causes her to transform into an ogress every night at sunset. After a series of comedic misunderstandings, Fiona and Shrek confess their love for one another, the curse is broken (teaching the moral that true love is defined by what is inside rather than outside), and they live happily ever after!

While based heavily on the original movie, the stage adaptation which the students are performing has the addition of a luscious full original Broadway score written by Jeanine Tesori. And of course, we have the rip-roaring finale of the Monkees 60’s smash hit song ‘I’m A Believer’. The songs dive deeper into the characters’ inner lives, exploring Shrek’s desire to be seen, Fiona’s isolated upbringing in the tower, and the fairy-tale creatures learning to embrace their uniqueness.

The students have once again exceeded themselves in their commitment to this show and have blown our expectations away with their talent. Anybody who has worked in Performing Arts will know the dedication, stamina and commitment needed for the many, many hours of rehearsals that shows demand. We are so proud of each and every one of them (shout out to our Year 7’s!) and look forward to their musical and dramatic journeys in the future.