On the 16th of February I saw Shrek the Musical at the New Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham. Whilst I was initially drawn to see the show due to Laura Main being cast as Princess Fiona, I was blown away by the whole production.
Shrek the Musical is a fun, uplifting musical, with an underlying message of hope and happiness. It’s a musical that has something for everyone. From rather crude humour that children find hilarious, to more subtle, witty remarks for the adults. It follows the plot of the first film quite closely, and so it’s something that children and adults alike can not only easily follow, but enjoy. With singing and dancing throughout, and a rendition of ‘I’m a Believer’ at the end that the whole theatre sings along to, it makes for an upbeat, entertaining evening.
For me, the highlight of the production was the brilliant soundtrack. Each character gets a great solo, with ‘What’s Up Duloc?’ and ‘I Know It’s Today’ being notable mentions for me. The whole cast have a great range of vocals, with ‘Freak Flag’ being a particularly strong song in terms of enabling the whole ensemble to really showcase this. Several of the songs include nods to other musicals, that add to the enjoyment and excitement of them.
In terms of performance, the whole cast were brilliant. Steffan Harri (Shrek) and Marcus Ayton’s (Donkey) ability to perform so well with the incredible costumes they wore was so impressive. But it was Samuel Holmes’ (Lord Farquaad) dancing on his knees and the sheer over the top nature of his performance that was truly amusing and a highlight of the show.
But the star, in my slightly biased opinion, was Laura Main (Princess Fiona), whose acting was not only brilliant, but she also sang several beautiful solos. Her performance of Morning Person was a particular highlight. Not only was her singing magnificent in it, but her tap dancing was a welcome surprise. Her return to musical theatre has been, in my opinion, a triumph.
Overall, it was a thoroughly enjoyable show. I would highly recommend it to adults and children alike, not just those that are fans of the original film. It makes for a truly magical evening at the theatre.

The UK Tour of Shrek the Musical is running until January 2019. You can check out venues and book tickets here: https://shrekthemusical.co.uk/buy-tickets
Please note, Laura is sharing the role of Princess Fiona with Amelia Lily, so she can fulfil her filming commitments for Call the Midwife. She is subsequently only appearing at selected venues. These are: Northampton, Sheffield, Cardiff (she is not appearing from the 17th-22nd however), Woking, Liverpool, Milton Keynes, Plymouth, Southampton, and Leeds.

– Beth (@LauraMainly)