Review: Fairytale favourites come to life as Shrek the Musical arrives in Aberdeen

A good fairy story for me has to have strong women and an abundance of magic and Shrek the Musical certainly delivered when it took to HM Theatre in Aberdeen for opening night.

Retelling the 2001 classic DreamWorks film the stage adaptation is very similar.

In fact, some of the best moments of the evening were lines taken straight from the movie – “not the gumdrop buttons”.

But the one thing missing for me was the music.

The production is by no means new, having drawn the first curtain in 2011, however, last night was the first time I had had an opportunity to see it.

There were a handful of songs which stood out, including Big Bright Beautiful World, and I Know It’s Today, but on the whole, I found the magic of the movie to be a little lost without its famous soundtrack.

However, the score was no reflection on the production currently touring at the moment.

The cast stole the show in Shrek the Musical in Aberdeen

Strictly Come Dancing and leading lady Joanne Clifton was sensational as Princess Fiona. She was funny, witty and had great comic timing with a beautiful voice and incredible moves to boot.

She was supported by another amazing female in the role of Cherece Richards as Dragon and the Wicked Witch.

Both were a delight to watch.

Anthony Lawrence as Shrek, James Gillan as Lord Farqaad and Brandon Lee Sears as Donkey were also to be applauded for their performances which did the original characters justice.

Shrek the Musical gained standing ovation by HMT audience

But the star of the show for me had to be the staging. There was something incredibly clever about the sets which opened up like pages of a children’s book and the beautifully designed costumes which transformed every character.

And while I may have been disappointed by the songs, the finale, I’m a Believer, which was prominently featured in the film, was the perfect way to rectify it.

The standing ovation at the end was proof enough that it was not just me who found the performance magical, but indeed the whole of last night’s audience.

If you’re looking for a happy ending to your week, then Shrek the Musical is on until Saturday night.