Principal casting announced for Shrek The Musical UK and Ireland tour which is coming to Royal & Derngate in Northampton

Producers Mark Goucher, Gavin Kalin and Matthew Gale are delighted to announced a Shrektacular principal cast line-up including Joanne Clifton as Princess Fiona, Anthony Lawrence as Shrek, James Gillan as Lord Faquaad and Brandon Lee Sears as Donkey in the brand-new production of Shrek the Musical. 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, coming to Northampton’s Royal & Derngate from Tuesday 10 to Sunday 15 October.

Anthony Lawrence (Shrek) recently played Scar in The Lion King (International Tour) as well as performing 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 Farquaad) 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.

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. 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 all ages.

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

The musical takes to the Derngate stage from Tuesday 10 to Sunday 15 October. Tickets for the Northampton run – priced from £27* – can be booked by calling Royal & Derngate’s Box Office on 01604 624811 or online at www.royalandderngate.co.uk.

* A charge of £3.50 applies for all transactions of £20 and over. Does not apply to Groups, Members or Disabled Patrons, and is per-transaction, not per-ticket.