The principal cast line-up including Joanne Clifton (Princess Fiona), James Gillan (Shrek) and Brandon Lee Sears (Donkey) in the brand-new production of Shrek the Musical has been announced. 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 performed 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 Faquaad) 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. For full listings, please see the notes to editors below.

The national press night will be Thursday 3 August 2023 at Opera House Manchester.

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. He is joined by 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.

Come join the adventure as Shrek and Donkey endeavour to complete their quest, finding unexpected friendships and surprising romance along the way.

 

 

 

TOUR DATES:

21 July 2023 – 29 July 2023

Plymouth Theatre Royal

theatreroyal.com

 

1 August – 12 August 2023

Opera House Manchester

atgtickets.com/venues/opera-house-manchester

 

15 August – 20 August 2023

Bord Gais Energy Theatre

bordgaisenergytheatre.ie

 

22 August – 27 August 2023

Bristol Hippodrome

atgtickets.com/venues/bristol-hippodrome

 

29 August – 2 September 2023

The Cliffs Pavilion, Southend

southendtheatres.org.uk

 

5 September – 10 September 2023

The Sands Centre, Carlisle

betterboxoffice.co.uk/the-sands-centre

 

12 September – 16 September 2023

His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen

aberdeenperformingarts.com/his-majestys-theatre

 

19 September – 24 September 2023

Oxford New Theatre

atgtickets.com/venues/new-theatre-oxford

 

26 September – 30 September 2023

New Wimbledon Theatre

atgtickets.com/venues/new-wimbledon-theatre

 

2 October – 7 October 2023

Orchard Theatre, Dartford

orchardtheatre.co.uk

 

10 October – 15 October 2023

Royal & Derngate, Northampton

royalandderngate.co.uk

 

17 October – 22 October 2023

Leicester Curve

https://www.curveonline.co.uk/

 

24 October – 28 October 2023

The Alhambra Theatre, Bradford

bradford-theatres.co.uk/venues/the-alhambra-theatre

 

30 October – 4 September 2023

New Victoria Theatre, Woking

atgtickets.com/venues/new-victoria-theatre

 

13 – 18 November 2023

Eastbourne Congress Theatre

eastbournetheatres.co.uk/venue/congress-theatre

 

20 November – 25 November 2023

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff

wmc.org.uk

 

27 November – 2 December 2023

Grand Opera House York

atgtickets.com/venues/grand-opera-house-york

 

12 December – 30 December 2023

Blackpool Winter Gardens

wintergardensblackpool.co.uk

 

15 January – 20 January 2024

Glasgow Kings Theatre

https://www.atgtickets.com/venues/kings-theatre-glasgow/

 

22 January – 27 January 2024

Edinburgh Playhouse

https://www.atgtickets.com/venues/edinburgh-playhouse/

 

30 January – 4 February 2024

Coventry Belgrade

https://www.belgrade.co.uk/

 

6 February – 10 February 2024

Sunderland Empire

https://www.atgtickets.com/venues/sunderland-empire/

 

12 February – 17 February 2024

Liverpool Empire

https://www.atgtickets.com/venues/liverpool-empire/

 

20 February – 25 February 2024

Southampton Mayflower

www.mayflower.org.uk

 

27 February – 3 March 2024

Milton Keynes Theatres

https://www.atgtickets.com/venues/milton-keynes-theatre/

 

5 March – 10 March 2024

Hull New Theatre

https://www.hulltheatres.co.uk/

 

12 March – 17 March 2024

Cheltenham Everyman

https://www.everymantheatre.org.uk/

 

19 March – 24 March 2024

Nottingham Theatre Royal

https://trch.co.uk/

 

26 March – 30 March 2024

Norwich Theatre Royal

https://norwichtheatre.org/

 

2 April – 6 April 2024

Grand Opera House Belfast

https://www.goh.co.uk/

 

9 April – 14 April 2024

The Alexandra, Birmingham

atgtickets.com/venues/the-alexandra-theatre-birmingham

 

16 April – 21 April 2024

Millenium Forum, Londonderry

https://www.millenniumforum.co.uk/