Shrek The Musical

I HAVE been an avid fan of the Shrek franchise ever since the loveable Ogre and Donkey hit our screens.

I have often indulged in the soundtrack to the musical so was really looking forward to seeing the spectacle as the characters trod the boards of Leeds Grand.

Did the show live up to expectations? Unfortunately not.

I found myself leaving feeling very undecided about whether I had actually enjoyed it.

Don’t get me wrong, it was a jolly show which stayed true to the now much-loved fairytale but lacked some of the charm that I was expecting.

Shrek was ably played and had a lovely voice and some good moves for such a cumbersome character, Donkey was exactly what I would expect and kept up the animal mannerisms along with the sass we have come to know and love.

My favourite, and by their reaction a favourite of the audience, was Lord Farquaad who had fantastic comic timing and the ability to move seamlessly from the little man shuffling along the floor to the aerobatics within his routines.

His song telling us of his father was probably the best moment of the show.

I did however feel let down by the character of Fiona as I could not engage with her: I felt there was little warmth as she moved from the woe-is-me woman locked in the tower, to juvenile humour that was too over-the-top for my liking.

The musical was staged well with some fantastic scenery and clever scene changes, and the costuming of the pantomime characters was a delight.

The music particularly in the first half had been changed from the original stage musical soundtrack, and I would have liked to have seen that brought back.

A bit of a hit and miss for me.

• Grand Theatre, Leeds, until January 6. Visit leedsgrandtheatre.com or call 0844 8482700 to book tickets.

Katrina Knights