Culture
REVIEW: Shrek The Musical at Mayflower Theatre
Shrek has come from Far Far Away and transformed Mayflower Theatre to one of the most glamorous swamps that I’ve ever seen! Yes it really is the same Shrek we all know and love but this time he’s on stage starring in his very own musical, ’Shrek The Musical’. The fairytale story of Shrek is one that everybody knows. Mike Myers’ iconic character is somewhat of a cult classic, with the 2001 hit film (and film series) being the cinematic universe for all things fairytale. This is a direct retelling of the story from the first film but all retold through an original script and soundtrack by David Lindsay-Abaire and Jeanine Tesori. ‘Shrek’ is a musical that has thrived at the heights of Broadway and The West End, and I was lucky enough to see that same award winning show on its first UK tour back in 2015. This version of the musical is a brand new production from directors Samuel Holmes and Nick Winston, being designed by Philip Witcomb. So having seen the original production, I was extremely excited to see how it had changed!
One of my initial thoughts of the show was, “Where has half of this show gone?”. This isn’t in terms of story, the same brilliant story and soundtrack is there, but rather in terms of the actual production value. With this being a big Broadway production, officially licensed by Dreamworks, you would be expecting to be fully transported into this fairytale world through the set, the design, and the theatre magic.
It is good fun for all ages of the family – especially if you are fans of Shrek.
Unfortunately, this just didn’t quite happen for me compared to how the original show looked. ‘Shrek’ is another touring musical that has yet again opted out of the major physical set option, but instead opted for projection effects that just aren’t quite up to standard. There were certain little details that were missing, and they felt as if they were missing as well (more on this later). This is all of course in comparison of what the show used to be, so if you have yet to see the show – that sense of magic will no doubt be there. Combined with the music and upbeat cast, some of the effects do work really well and it is good fun for all ages of the family – especially if you are fans of Shrek. However, having seen what the production has been previously and what it could have been, it’s confusing as to why it has changed so much.
This isn’t to take anything away from the cast however. The cast was big and they were great. Playing the roles of ‘Shrek’ and ‘Princess Fiona’ were the extremely talented Antony Lawrence and Joanne Clifton, who shared a fantastic love and comedy bond on stage. The role of Eddie Murphy’s ‘Donkey’ was perfectly portrayed by Brandon Lee Sears, again sharing a great comedic partnership with Antony – firing both physical gags and spoken jokes for children, and some more crude for the adults. Talking of crude jokes, James Gillan played the role of ‘Lord Farqaad’, in a camped up reversion of the character – getting plenty of laughs every time he appeared on stage.
Her voice was absolutely incredible.
I particularly liked his little nod to ‘Defying Gravity’! I’d also just like to give a shoutout to two performances in particular that I believe stole the show. Cherece Richards, who played the role of ‘Dragon/Wicked Witch’ was incredible as the Dragon. Her voice was so powerful and beautiful, she literally owned the stage whenever she was singing. The other stand out performance had to be that of Georgie Buckland playing the roles of ‘Gingy/Elf/Bluebird/Dragon Puppeteer’. Her interpretation of ‘Gingy’ sounded like it was straight out of the movies (yes she said “Do you know the muffin man” & “Not my gumdrop buttons” and it was a magical moment!), and then when she started singing as well… WOW! To be dancing, whilst sounding like a well known character, whilst singing, and controlling a puppet. Phenomenal! Her voice was absolutely incredible, what a gift!
In terms of set and lighting, as I’ve already mentioned it seemed to be a little bit lacklustre. From seeing what it was to what it is now, there was so much potential that just seemed to be lost. The lights were actually very impressive, big and on brand, with clever use of spotlights and shadows at points as well. The set used lots of projections. There were large moments when only a curtain with moving projections was used, leaving two thirds of the stage unused and it became quite boring to look at. Certain bits of set did seem to be missing as well.
The use of puppetry was very effective and I do have to say I really like the way in which the ‘Dragon’ was done, and love the way in which ‘Gingy’ was done. But again, having seen how the Dragon was portrayed previously, this just doesn’t came anywhere close. The effects were much the same. The ‘death’ of ‘Lord Farqaad’ was uninspiring. A half finished projection, with some haze and a flash of lights doesn’t present any theatre magic towards creating a sense of danger or fear. You may remember a scene from the film where ‘Princess Fiona’ makes a bird explode from singing. This moment again had so much potential but ended up with a puppet being thrown off of the stage. Having said this however, the mixture of the lights with the puppetry and projection effects was at times very effective in creating suspense and a scene. You would definitely feel as if you were part of a fairytale land, just maybe not as much as if it was physical set pieces instead.
It was almost like I was waiting for things to happen, and then they never did.
The original soundtrack is one that is quite well known by now; with songs such as ‘I’m a Believer’, ‘Big Bright Beautiful World’, and ‘I Know It’s Today’. Having a live orchestra for this was really nice! During ‘I Know It’s Today’, I did notice a lot of people in the audience seeming quite confused at exactly what was going on. Originally, this song is sung by a child, teen, and adult version of ‘Princess Fiona’. However, in this version it is just three adult Fiona’s all of different height and it was hard to differentiate between. A big change from the original was also not seeing ‘Lord Farqaad’ on his knees all show (If you know, you know). I actually quite liked seeing so much movement from Farqaad, but am not sure if this took away from the comedic value of him being so short or not. For me it just seemed to be the little details that were missing that really made this show the last time around. For example Pinocchio’s nose not growing made an entire piece of dialogue really confusing for me, and its another piece of theatre magic that’s just lost. It was almost like I was waiting for things to happen, and then they never did.
I know that I have been drilling and thinking into this far too much. ‘Shrek’ is a lighthearted and fun story, retold on stage for all of the family. And does it do that? Yes it absolutely does! I think it is unfair to fully focus on a comparison of what the show used to be because if you hadn’t seen the original, I believe you could still be blown away by some of the effects and theming used. This was never intended to be a groundbreaking piece of theatre, but it easily could have been. The scripting is funny and very clever, with some fantastic nods to popular culture and links back to the movies. The soundtrack is also brilliant, and being performed live is exactly what musical theatre is. To sum up, this is definitely a great show that’s lots of fun, but I wish people could also have seen how it was originally portrayed! This new production was pantomime-esc but whether the show has cut so much to commercialise or not, you can’t take too much away from how it was performed. It’s still a great bit of family fun and a must see for all Shrek fans – a packed Mayflower Theatre on a Tuesday night tells you all you need to know! ‘Shrek The Musical’ is touring until May 2024 before heading to London’s Hammersmith Apollo in July and I wish all of the cast, crew and company the best of luck going forward.
If something looks perfect from the outside does it mean it actually is?
That’s the concept that director Jay Roach brings to life in the new movie The Roses released in August 2025.
The Roses is a reimagining of the 1989 film The War of the Roses which was originally based on Warren Adler’s 1981 novel.
Although unlike the novel the characters instead are shown to struggle with their different careers either rising or falling.
It has been adapted, in my opinion, to make it resonate with women a lot more as in both the novel and first film the women were stay at home mothers who felt unsatisfied.
This appears to be one of the main reasons for the divorces with Barbara (Kathleen Turner) eventually turning to a catering business.
However, within the new modernised version Ivy’s (Olivia Colman) successful career is a point of contempt for Theo (Benedict Cumberbatch).
While it starts off with a more realistic depiction of parents struggling with the loss of a career and a start of a new one, it slowly divulges itself away from the typical divorcee movie.
I watched this movie at the Everyman (luxury I know!) and the grip it had on me as an audience member was outstanding.
With the selection of actors involved in this movie it’s no surprise that there is a mix of comedy and drama making it a satirical black comedy.
While it was delightful to watch, I feel that some audience members might criticise the realism of the movie.
Yet I go to the cinema to be transported from real life so the mix of realism and shock factor was highly entertaining.
A contrasting mix of comedy and darkness
The performances from the actors was exactly what the movie needed.
The chemistry, or lack thereof, between Colman and Cumberbatch was so believable that you would think that they were married in real life.
Their delivery of both the comedy and the rage was again so believable that it sucked me as the audience into what was the “dirty laundry” of their personal lives.
With a supporting cast including Andy Samberg, Allison Janney and others their characters mostly brought the comedy relief needed in to break the movie up.
They also gave us a contrast to the main relationship being shown which helped us recognise how some of the actions were exaggerated for our benefit.
However, some critics online have noted that while it is undeniably a satirical dark comedy, the dark comedy seemed to be held back some times, therefore not always giving it the edge it needed.
I think that for a 15 certificate movie it had just the right amount to stretch over its wide audience.
Another criticism that The Roses received was that the contrast between the comedy and cruelty was sometimes so abrupt that it didn’t hit as hard as it could have.
At some points the comedy seemed out of place which almost gave the film a sort of jarring feel as they changed between the emotions.
The ending is ambiguous which can have mixed reactions from the audience.
Some may like to have the movie tied up neatly at the end whereas others like that they can believe what they want to believe.
I am the latter in the case of this movie as I enjoyed the fact that I could believe either the more macabre ending or not.
To me the ending, without giving any spoilers, had me on the edge of my seat with a real 360 turn.
Again it had the perfect amount of shock factor and comedy which highlighted the overall tone throughout.
I felt that it drew the entire film together nicely especially with the ending performance from Coleman and Cumberbatch.
Winchester original artist Sam Bishop has been releasing music for almost a decade but after not releasing a new song for the last two years, Just a Little is set to be release this Friday, February 7th.
Sam first got into music when he was in secondary school, after watching Imagine Dragons in the O2 he fell in love with their support act.
As an only child he has always been a creative person, writing stories and songs in his free time.
The first thought has never been how can I perform live but how can I write?
Sam also enjoyed:”I enjoy feeling nervous but eventually acting felt like second nature, so I decided to give music a go.”
After getting into music in school Sam released his first song in 2016.
“It has been trial and error since with each year getting better and better performing and writing more.”
I asked him whether he has always written his own songs, and he explained: “The first thought has never been how can I perform live but how can I write?
“That’s the angle I attack music with.”
For Sam music has always been a way to express how he feels.
But what’s the best part of the writing process?
Well, for Sam it’s the feeling of a song coming together as a whole, he compared the writing process to a tap, that it slowly drips until it starts to flow.
“You get a melody and a good lyric. It feels amazing when it all comes together it’s so special, it’s definitely a process it takes time and trial and error.”
Sam’s new single Just a Little, is no different, going through this same process, and has now come together ready for its release this Friday.
It all started in last summer, when Sam was on a flight from Miami to LA, he wasn’t interested in watching the typical films you find on airplanes, and felt creative, this is where the chorus for Just a Little was born.
Being away from family for a prolonged amount of time through working away and travelling gave Sam the feeling of wanting to be connected and keep in touch with people’s lives whilst being away.
Just a Little is about questioning whether you’re enough.
It’s a song full of vulnerability and expressing that and truly allowing yourself to feel those feelings.
After Sam’s travels he got home and revisited the song, from there it started to take off and really build.
He sent the song to his friend Toby who he describes as an unbelievable guitarist, and an excellent musician.
Toby then worked on the song as a production, whilst Sam worked on the lyrics.
Just a Little was kind of a one off, as a process it was very natural.
By mid-November the song was finished and now is the time for its release.
This song has a different sound to Sam’s previous songs, and he’s excited for people to hear this new style of music from him.
“It’s a very personal song washed under happy and jolly music.
“It’s very current and popular; something you’d expect to hear on the radio.”
Sam hopes that that the release allows people to connect with not just the lyrics but how the song feels.
Following the release Sam has big plans for the next year.
This is the start of a new sound for him, and he hopes more songs like this will follow with maybe one or two before the end of the year.
There are also a number of gigs to be announced for the next three months that he is looking forward to performing.
At the end of our interview Sam said: “Songs will happen, it’s what I love to do it’s so expressive as an art form and it’s something I will always want to do.
“Just a Little was kind of a one off, as a process it was very natural.
After not releasing a song for two years, once the lyrics were finished and he got the song back from Toby he knew this was the one that this would be the re-release of his music as an original artist.
Just a Little is out at midnight February 7th.
For announcements of new music and dates of performances you can follow Sam on Instagram @sambishopmusician.
The wait is over for Winchester’s burger lovers, as a new Five Guys restaurant has opened in the heart of the city centre.
The American burger chain, world famous for its customisable smash burgers and seemingly bottomless fries opened on Monday, December 2nd.
It was a soft launch without any ceremony for the restaurant, but the new staff and management immediately had a growing queue of customers on their hands.
Five Guys has taken one of three units from the former Debenhams department store. The other two are Nando’s which opened last month and Pizza Express.
Founded in Virginia in 1986, Five Guys launched in the UK in 2013 and has become a popular choice for burger lovers, including celebrities such as Tommy Fury, Mollie King, Ed Sheeran, and Maya Jama.
There are now 1,800 restaurants worldwide including 171 in the UK.
The new Winchester branch is expected to be a popular addition to the city’s food scene.
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