Photo Flash: Students Visit SHREK At Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

Shrek The Musical will spread goodwill and cheer this festive season. On Thursday, December 15, 2011, students from Blessed Sacrament RC Primary School, Islington treated audience members to Christmas carols following the matinee performance at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. The school is supported by children’s charity Place2Be, a school-based counselling service, dedicated to improving the emotional wellbeing of children, their families and the whole school community.

The students were invited to attend a performance of Shrek The Musical, and meet Shrek (Nigel Lindsay) and Donkey (Richard Blackwood), who presented the charity with a cheque for £20,000 representing the amount generously given by SHREK audiences and a matching amount by the stage musicals producers DreamWorks Theatricals.

Other charities Shrek The Musical has supported this year include The Prince's Foundation for Children & The Arts, BBC Children in Need and World Aids Day. Shrek The Musical has also helped make dreams come true with the help of Make A Wish Foundation, granting wishes to see the musical and meet the cast. In total, Shrek The Musical and its audiences have donated more than £80,000 to these charities since the opening in June 2011.

Shrek has been seen by more than 400,000 people at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane since the new stage production began preview performances on May 6, 2011.

Shrek currently stars Nigel Lindsay as Shrek, Richard Blackwood as Donkey, Nigel Harman as Lord Farquaad and Kimberley Walsh as Princess Fiona.

Dean Chisnall will play Shrek and Neil McDermott will play Lord Farquaad from February 29, 2012.

Tickets are currently on sale for performances up to October 21, 2012.

Produced by DreamWorks Theatricals and Neal Street Productions, Shrek is based on the story and characters from William Steig’s book Shrek! and the Oscar®-winning Dreamworks Animation feature film Shrek, the first chapter in the series of irreverent fairy tales.

Shrek tells the story of the swamp-dwelling ogre who embarks on a life-changing adventure in order to reclaim the deed to his land. Joined by a wise-cracking donkey who won’t shut up, this unlikely hero fights a fearsome dragon, rescues the feisty Princess Fiona and learns that real friendship and true love aren’t only found in fairy tales. With all-new songs, and an old favourite in I’m a Believer, this spectacular stage musical brings to life the original film’s cast of dysfunctional characters and the accompanying subversive fun.

The Anglo-American creative team is led by directors Jason Moore and Rob Ashford and includes David Lindsay-Abaire (Book and Lyrics), Jeanine Tesori (Music), Tim Hatley (Scenic, Costume and Puppet Design), Hugh Vanstone (Lighting Design), Peter Hylenski (Sound Design), and Josh Prince (Choreography).

Shrek played on Broadway from December 2008 to January 2010 and was nominated for eight Tony Awards®, winning Tim Hatley the Tony for Best Costume Design of a Musical. A production opened in Chicago on July 25, 2010 and toured 60 cities in the United States.

Shrek began previews at London’s Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on May 6, 2011 and officially opened on June 14, 2011.

SHREK THE MUSICAL

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London, WC2B 5JF

Booking until October 21, 2012

Box Office: 0844 871 8810

To book online visit: www.ShrekTheMusical.co.uk

Photo credit: Dan Wooller

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