Ben Mingay and Lucy Durack have their green mitts all over the roles of Shrek and Princess Fiona
Wondering what Sydney’s newest family stage show is like? We give Shrek The Musical the thumbs up.
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SHREK THE MUSICAL: review by Elizabeth Fortescue
Sydney Lyric until February 9
Sydney gave its heart to Shrek The Musical when the romping show opened last night to a standing ovation for the big green ogre, his gorgeous princess, Donkey and little Lord Farquaad, all backed up by a troupe of fabulous fairytale characters fighting for the right to just be themselves.
The show comes to the Sydney Lyric from Broadway, but with an all-Australian cast led by the amazing Ben Mingay. Mingay had his big green mitts all over the role of Shrek. The Scottish burr, the swaggering gait, the faux intimidation, the gooey interior — it was all there in big, muddy dollops.
It says in the show that Shrek is like an onion (lots of layers), and Princess Fiona is likewise multifaceted. Lucy Durack made Fiona into one of those fluffy trifles where you come across the occasion hit of hard liquor. She was pretty and petulant, demure and demanding. Durack conjured up a wonderful screech when Fiona wasn’t getting what she wanted. With their small daughter in his lap during the show, Durack’s husband laughingly reassured a patron that it’s not the voice Durack uses at home.
It was a triumphant opening night in which every single member of the ensemble excelled. Nat Jobe as Donkey was a brilliant sidekick to Shrek. His mobile face recorded Donkey’s every passing thought, even the dopey ones, and you could sense Jobe’s athleticism even though he was thickly furred.
Todd McKenney — a legend of Australian theatre — was smirkingly oily as the diminutive Farquaad who only wants to marry in order to become a king. Just how the show’s creators transformed a normal-sized actor into a pint-sized wannabe king needs to be kept a delightful surprise.
Marcia Hines’ strong, steely vocals accompanied a stunning pink puppet of The Dragon who falls in love with Donkey. Credit to the crew who manipulated the puppet around and above the stage. Just brilliant.
In the ensemble, praise must be scattered widely. Rubin Matters turned in a great performance as Peter Pan, even sneaking in a quick bit of circus tumbling at the end of the show. Joshua Robson, Ross Chisari and Tom Sharah were delightfully funny as the Three Little Pigs.
Mia Honeysett was delightful as Young Fiona, and will alternate in that role throughout the show’s season with Audrey Brodie, Amelia Heaven, Amelie Rose and Holly Simon.
The sets and costumes are colourful and gorgeous, the music isn’t world-beating but it’s sufficiently rousing and foot-tapping, and overall this is a great show that virtually anyone would enjoy.