Review | Shrek The Musical at The Kings Theatre, Southsea: 'Green with envy of those yet to see it'
The cold, dark winter nights have started to creep in, but The Portsmouth Players brighten them up this week with their colourful and heart-warming show, Shrek.
As a huge fan of the 2001 Dreamworks classic, I was incredibly excited – it didn’t disappoint.
I assume the leads studied the film as the likeness to the Hollywood cast is uncanny.
Jack Edwards stars as the titular ogre and he’s hideously brilliant at it. His larger-than-life characterisation is equally matched by his big vocals, but I assure you, there’s nothing scary about those. Lauren Kempton also impresses as love interest, Princess Fiona, expertly balancing her sweet spirit with an abundance of sass. The two together are delightful – I Think I Got You Beat is adorable.
In the film, Eddie Murphy’s brilliant Donkey meant Tom Wood had huge hooves to fill, but boy, did he do it. His facial expressions combined with impeccable comic timing made for an unforgettable turn as Shrek’s sidekick.
Another excellent comedic performance came from Nick Williams who certainly wasn’t short of laughs as the villain, Lord Farquaad. Georgina-Rose Rust and Kim Seagrove provided a vocal masterclass in their stint as Dragon.
The leads were formidably supported by a large ensemble, everyone bringing this fairy tale to life with style. The group numbers such as Story of My Life and Freak Flag were real crowd-pleasers.
The set is remarkable, and the costumes are something to behold, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were sat in the West End.
The audience were on their feet for the finale and rightly so.
I’m green with envy of those yet to see it.
Until Saturday.