Lively, imaginative, and a whole lot of whimsical flair. Cheeky, sassy and downright fun.
Based on the 2001 DreamWorks Animation film and William Steig’s book, big green ogre Shrek (Trevor Patt) breaks the fourth wall at the top of the show. He briefly kibbitzes with audience members in the front row. Shrek prefers to be alone in his swamp. Some daft fairy-tale characters end up on the ogre’s property after being banished from the Kingdom of Duloc by ruler Lord Farquaad (Michael Therriault) for being freaks. The ogre decides to travel to see Farquaad in hopes of changing his mind. Ultimately, the ogre just wants to return to his solitary life.
Along the journey, Shrek encounters Donkey (Joema Frith), who convinces the ogre to let him join the trek. Eventually, the two rescue Princess Fiona (Ellen Denny), who is trapped in a tower waiting for her Prince Charming’s rescue. Fiona carries her own secret, which she has not shared with anyone. Farquaad wants to marry Fiona to secure the kingdom’s rule. Amid all this confusion, Fiona and Shrek begin to develop feelings for each other, but will they be able to find happiness amid all the chaos in the kingdom?
If you’ve seen the film, you know that right eventually wins and order is restored.
YPT’s finely tuned production captures the liveliness behind David Lindsay-Abaire’s book and lyrics. Director Herbie Barnes has a soft spot in his heart for all things childlike. His direction remains charmingly whimsical. Barnes keeps the show’s pacing tight and moving along to maintain the interest of the wee attention span. Ensemble members move set pieces with a gentle whirling and twirling.
Music Director Jeannie Wyse nicely captures the lyrical flow of Jeannie Tesori’s music and Lindsay-Abaire’s lyrics. A slight quibble in the balance of Brian Kenny’s sound design to ensure the band does not overpower the singers. Now that the show is up and running, that sound balance issue can be quickly fixed at each performance. Monica Dottor’s choreographic staging skillfully complements each musical number.
William Layton’s strikingly larger-than-life, storybook-format set design enticingly invites the audience to enter another world. The colourful patterns swirling on the Ada Slaight Stage spill over onto the walls into the auditorium. Joyce Padua’s costumes delightfully catch the eye with their hues. Echo Zhou’s lighting resplendently fills the stage in several choral numbers while the spot-lit moments build necessary tension.
The cast is first-rate.
Trevor Patt is a lovable, gruff, and grumpy Shrek who sparks squeals of delight from the young children at the top of the show. As the adorable, huggable Donkey, Joema Frith comes dangerously close to stealing the spotlight with his sometimes hilariously cheeky and sassy monologue tirades. Ellen Denny is sweet as Fiona. Denny also has a lovely singing voice and can hit those high notes with ease. Michael Therriault perfectly parodies the evil Lord Farquaad without ever going over the top. Therriault’s physical stance throughout the entire show still makes me smile as I write this article the next day. Michael’s stamina in maintaining that stance deserves a standing ovation.
There are some memorable daft fairy tale characters in the ensemble.
At this performance, standby Alex Furber’s high-pitched Pinocchio became a laughable moment each time he tells a lie. I wondered how that bit of nose-growing magic was achieved. Jeff Madden’s fashionable-looking Wolf dressed in a granny nightgown and oversized bunny slippers is a hoot. Astrid Atherley is a sleek and seductive Wicked Witch. The appearance of the Dragon, with puppeteers Travae Williams, Mickey McKinnon, Taj Crozier, and Tat Austrie, is accompanied by theatrical fanfare similar to the opening of Disney’s The Lion King. It’s a theatre visual treat to watch each time the Dragon appears.
While Shrek’s dual message of embracing individuality and accepting others for who they are remains highly important, Herbie Barnes reminds us of the joy of viewing the world through a child’s eyes, not just at Christmas but all year round. Children instinctively know when to laugh at their own silly actions or at others who do the same. The storybook adult characters in Shrek also recognize when to laugh at their silliness, especially during the flatulence-passing moment between Shrek and Fiona.
The message for twenty-first-century adults: it’s okay to laugh while doing silly things—so long as no real harm is caused to themselves or others.
Barnes also allows adults in the audience to enjoy a good laugh, too. While the double entendre may go over the tots’ heads, adults sitting nearby are chuckling at the intended meaning.
Please go and see Shrek, the Musical and take the kids. It’s terrific family fare this Christmas and holiday season.
Running time: approximately 80 minutes with no interval/intermission.
The production runs to December 30, 2025, on the Ada Slaight Stage at Toronto’s Young People’s Theatre, 165 Front Street East. For tickets: call 416.862.2222 or visit https://www.youngpeoplestheatre.org/tickets/
YOUNG PEOPLE’S THEATRE presents
Shrek, the Musical
Book and Lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire
Music by Jeanine Tesori
Originally produced on Broadway by DreamWorks Theatricals and Neal Street Productions.
Directed by Herbie Barnes
Music Director: Jeannie Wyse
Choreographer: Monica Dottor
Assistant Choreographer: Tyler Pearse
Set and Props Designer: William Layton
Costume Designer: Joyce Padua
Lighting Designer: Echo Zhou
Sound Designer: Brian Kenny
Stage Manager: Meghan Speakman
Assistant Stage Manager: Emmanuelle So
Apprentice Stage Manager: Tsz Ting (Tiffany) Liam
Band: Jeannie Wyse, Alexa Belgrave, David Macdougall
Performers: Astrid Atherly, Tat Austrie, Taj Crozier, Megan Dalan, Ellen Denny, Joema Frith, Alex Furber, Dominique Leblanc, Jeff Madden, Mickey McKinnon, Trevor Patt, Tyler Pearse, Alana Randall, Michael Therriault, Travae Williams.
