Shrek The Musical – Free Hotel Offer

Everyone’s favourite ogre is brought to life when Shrek The Musical®, based on the Oscar-winning film, hits the London stage starring Kimberley Walsh, Richard Blackwood, Nigel Lindsay and Nigel Harman.

Produced by DreamWorks Theatricals and Sam Mendes’ Neal Street Productions, the show will open at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in May 2011, with its opening night on 7 June.

An all-star cast includes Nigel Lindsay as Shrek, Girls Aloud’s Kimberley Walsh as Princess Fiona, Richard Blackwood as the Donkey and Nigel Harman as Lord Farquaad.

Shrek The Musical is part romance, part twisted fairy tale and all irreverent fun for everyone! In a faraway kingdom turned upside down, things get ugly when an unseemly ogre — not a handsome prince — shows up to rescue a feisty princess. Throw in a donkey who won’t shut up, a bad guy with a SHORT temper, a cookie with an attitude and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you’ve got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily, there’s one on hand…and his name is Shrek.

Shrek The Musical originally opened on Broadway in December 2008 and was nominated for eight Tony Awards. Now a brand new production is coming to London full of all-new songs, great dancing and breathtaking scenery.

The London stage musical is based on the irreverent fairy tale from William Steig’s book Shrek and the Oscar-winning Dreamworks Animation film. The creative team includes directors Jason Moore (Avenue Q) and Rob Ashford (Promises, Promises), with book and lyrics by Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire, music by Olivier Award winner Jeanine Tesori, scenic, costume and puppet design by Tim Hatley, lighting by Hugh Vanstone, sound design by Peter Hylenski and choreography by Josh Prince.

The musical will be produced in London by DreamWorks Theatricals’ Bill Damaschke and Mendes’ Neal Street Productions under Caro Newling.

Book tickets to Shrek The Musical at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Shrek The Musical Special Offer – Save £19

SPECIAL OFFER: Save £19 on tickets to see  Shrek The Musical at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Offer Valid: Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday performances 31st October to the 17th November

Everyone’s favourite ogre has been brought to life in Shrek The Musical®, the spectacular stage show based on the Oscar-winning film.

Starring Girls Aloud’s Kimberley Walsh, Richard Blackwood, Nigel Lindsay and Nigel Harman,  Shrek The Musical is a joyous, magical musical now playing at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London – and Westendtheatre.com presents our very first special offer to see the show.

Shrek The Musical is part romance, part twisted fairy tale and great fun for all ages. In a faraway kingdom turned upside down, things get ugly when an unseemly ogre — not a handsome prince — shows up to rescue a feisty princess. Throw in a donkey who won’t shut up, a bad guy with a SHORT temper, a cookie with an attitude and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you’ve got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily, there’s one on hand…and his name is Shrek.

Shrek The Musical originally opened on Broadway in December 2008 and was nominated for eight Tony Awards. And now this brand new production has opened in London full of all-new songs, great dancing and breathtaking scenery.

The London stage musical is based on the irreverent fairy tale from William Steig’s book Shrek and the Oscar-winning Dreamworks Animation film. The creative team includes directors Jason Moore (Avenue Q) and Rob Ashford (Promises, Promises), with book and lyrics by Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire, music by Olivier Award winner Jeanine Tesori, scenic, costume and puppet design by Tim Hatley, lighting by Hugh Vanstone, sound design by Peter Hylenski and choreography by Josh Prince.

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SPECIAL OFFER: Save £19 on tickets to see  Shrek The Musical at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Offer Valid: Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday performances 31st October to the 17th November

Shrek The Musical congratulates Amanda Holden and welcomes Kimberley Walsh

AS AMANDA HOLDEN SHARES HER WONDERFUL NEWS… SHREK THE MUSICAL ANNOUNCES THAT KIMBERLEY WALSH WILL PLAY THE ROLE OF PRINCESS FIONA FROM OCTOBER 5 2011

Kimberley Walsh will play the role of Princess Fiona in Shrek The Musical from 5 October 2011. Amanda Holden’s pregnancy, announced today, means that she performs as Princess Fiona for the final time on Monday 3 October. Kimberley Walsh takes over the role two months earlier than originally planned.

Kimberley Walsh is a member of Girls Aloud one of the UK’s most successful pop groups. Alongside Cheryl Cole, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts and Sarah Harding she has sold 10 million records, released five platinum selling albums, won a Brit award and played sold-out arena tours. Kimberley’s love of musical theatre was explored in the ITV2 documentary The Passions of Girls Aloud which culminated in her appearance at the Queens Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue singing On My Own, in the role of Eponine, in Les Miserables. This was the realisation of a life-long dream, having played the role of Young Cosette in a production of Les Miserables when she was twelve years old.

SHREK THE MUSICAL® stars Nigel Lindsay as Shrek, Richard Blackwood as Donkey, Nigel Harman as Lord Farquaad. The production officially opened on June 14, 2011 and immediately become one of London’s favourite musicals. It has now played to more than 225,000 people at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane since the first preview performance on Friday May 6, 2011.

Produced by DreamWorks Theatricals and Neal Street Productions, SHREK THE MUSICAL® 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 THE MUSICAL® 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).

Tickets are now on sale for performances until October 21, 2012.

Release issued by: The Corner Shop PR

LINKS

Book tickets to Shrek The Musical at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London

Watch Out For Shrek The Musical This Summer!

• AN ADDITIONAL 600,000 TICKETS FOR SHREK THE MUSICAL ARE NOW ON SALE AS THE BOOKING PERIOD IS EXTENDED UNTIL OCTOBER 21, 2012

• SHREK THE MUSICAL WILL FEATURE ON BBC RADIO 2 ‘FRIDAY NIGHT IS MUSIC NIGHT – A MUSICAL SHREKTACULAR’ ON FRIDAY JULY 15, 2011

• SHREK THE MUSICAL WILL PARTICIPATE IN CAMP BESTIVAL AND KIDS WEEK IN THE WEST END THS SUMMER

SHREK THE MUSICAL® has been seen by 120,000 people at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane since the new stage production began preview performances on Friday May 6, 2011.

SHREK THE MUSICAL® stars Nigel Lindsay as Shrek, Richard Blackwood as Donkey, Nigel Harman as Lord Farquaad and Amanda Holden as Princess Fiona. The production officially opened on June 14, 2011.

It will be a busy summer for SHREK THE MUSICAL® . The new musical will be participating in various events around the country this July and August.

On Friday July 15 at 8pm, Friday Night is Music Night – A Musical Shrektacular will be broadcast on BBC Radio 2. Recorded at the Hackney Empire, the concert celebrates the 10 year anniversary of the film release of Shrek and the West End opening of SHREK THE MUSICAL® . Nigel Lindsay, Richard Blackwood, Nigel Harman and Amanda Holden will present the two hour programme and alongside the ensemble cast, perform songs from the new stage musical accompanied by the 70-piece strong BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Richard Balcombe. Songs performed from other DreamWorks Animation movies include How to Train your Dragon, Chicken Run, The Prince of Egypt and Kung Fu Panda.

On Saturday July 30, SHREK THE MUSICAL® will stage an exclusive performance at Camp Bestival. Voted the UK’s Best Family Festival for three years in a row, Camp Bestival is set in the majestic Lulworth Castle in Dorset.

During August 12 – 26, SHREK THE MUSICAL® will participate in Kids Week in the West End, an action-packed fortnight of theatrical fun. During Kids Week, a child up to the age of 16 years old can experience SHREK THE MUSICAL® for free, and two additional children can go along at half price (per transaction) if they are accompanied by a full paying adult (subject to availability). On Thursday August 18, 2011, kids can participate in a free dance workshop with a member of the SHREK THE MUSICAL® cast at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, booking is required. Booking for Kids Week in the West End will open on Tuesday July 12 and tickets are available online at www.kidsweek.co.uk.

Details of all of these events are available online at: www.shrekthemusical.co.uk

Produced by DreamWorks Theatricals and Neal Street Productions, SHREK THE MUSICAL® 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.

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).

Release issued by: The Corner Shop

LINKS

Book tickets to Shrek The Musical at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London

Shrek The Musical at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane – Round-up of Reviews

A round-up of reviews of Shrek The Musical at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane starring Amanda Holden, Nigel Lindsay and Nigel Harman.

Riding on the success of Disney’s venture into stage entertainment, DreamWorks has followed suite, turning their hugely successful Shrek movie franchise into a big new stage musical.

The show stars Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden as Princess Fiona, Nigel Lindsay (Four Lions) as Shrek, comedian Richard Blackwood as Donkey andNigel Harman (EastEnders) as Lord Farquaad.

The creative team behind the show includes directors Jason Moore (Avenue Q) and Rob Ashford (Promises, Promises), with book and lyrics by Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire, music by Olivier Award winner Jeanine Tesori, scenic, costume and puppet design by Tim Hatley, lighting by Hugh Vanstone, sound design by Peter Hylenski and choreography by Josh Prince.

See a round-up of Shrek The Musical reviews, below.

LINKS

Book tickets to Shrek The Musical at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London

Amanda Holden and cast of Shrek The Musical to perform live on ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent

SHREK THE MUSICAL’S GOT TALENT! CAST TO PERFORM LIVE ON ITV’S BRITAIN’S GOT TALENT

You better believe it, on Tuesday May 31 the cast of SHREK THE MUSICAL®, including Amanda Holden as Princess Fiona, will perform live on ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent.

In a Britain’s Got Talent first, judge Amanda Holden will swap the safety of the judging panel for the stage, joining her SHREK THE MUSICAL® co-stars for a live performance of classic hit, I’m a Believer.

Amanda said: “I think one of the most important things when you‘re on a show like Britain’s Got Talent and judging other people, is to be willing to stand on the stage and put your own self up for judgment. Next Tuesday, the audience along with my TV colleagues Simon, Michael and the Hoff will be sitting in judgment of me. I‘m just praying they don‘t use their buzzers!”

SHREK THE MUSICAL® is currently previewing at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and officially opens on June 14, 2011. A Royal Gala performance of SHREK THE MUSICAL® will be held June 8, 2011 in aid of The Prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts.

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

Tickets for the new stage musical are on sale for performances until February 19, 2012.

Owing to the live performance on Britain’s Got Talent, the 7.30pm performance of SHREK THE MUSICAL® on Monday June 6 will be cancelled.

Release issued by: The Corner Shop

LINKS

Book tickets to Shrek The Musical at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London

Photos: Shrek The Musical – first photos and rehearsals

First production photos released of Shrek The Musical, which starts previews tonight, 6 May 2011, at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

The major new DreamWorks Theatricals and Neal Street Productions show is based on DreamWorks’ hit animated movie franchise and stars Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden as Princess Fiona, Nigel Lindsay (Four Lions) as Shrek, comedian Richard Blackwood as Donkey andNigel Harman (EastEnders) as Lord Farquaad.

The show officially opens on 14 June 2011.

Other members of the cast include Delroy Atkinson, Amy Beadel, Stephanie Bron, Dean Chisnall, Jon-Scott Clark, Ste Clough, Lee William-Davis, Ross Dawes, Lucie Downer, Alice Fearn, Michelle Francis, Ashley E Hale, Rosanna Hyland, Bradley Jaden, Aaron Lee Lambert, Emma Lindars, Grant Murphy, Spencer O’Brien, Landi Oshinowo, Damien Poole, Stuart Matthew Price, Jacqui Sanchez, Jonathan Stewart, Leigh-Anne Stone, Lucy Tapp, Karli Vale and Michael Watson.

The London stage musical, which previously played on Broadway and in Toronto and is currently on a US tour, is based on the irreverent fairy tale from William Steig’s book Shrek and the Oscar-winning Dreamworks Animation film, and tells the story of the swamp-dwelling ogre who embarks on a life-changing adventure in order to reclaim the deed to his land.

The creative team behind the show includes directors Jason Moore (Avenue Q) and Rob Ashford (Promises, Promises), with book and lyrics by Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire, music by Olivier Award winner Jeanine Tesori, scenic, costume and puppet design by Tim Hatley, lighting by Hugh Vanstone, sound design by Peter Hylenski and choreography by Josh Prince.

LINKS

More news on Shrek The Musical

Backstage at the 2011 Olivier Awards

Acclaimed photographer Charlie Gray went behind the scenes at this year’s Olivier Awards at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane to capture the stars of West End Theatre.

Charlie Gray is a prominent London photographer, well known for his film and TV work and his coverage of the BAFTA film awards.

He started his career shooting reportage for magazines and this style of capturing the glamour of the entertainment industry, combined with the drama of normal life, has stood him in good stead. He has become well-known for getting beautiful shots of beautiful people outside of their on-camera, on-stage lives.

Last year he completed a “Year Behind The Scenes of British Film” project for The Sunday Times, requiring him to visit 20 film sets. Projects like this, and his work as the official photographer for BAFTA for the last four years, means that he has built up an impressive portfolio packed full of famous faces.

In recognition of the Olivier Award’s step-change this year, to become an altogether more glamorous face of the West End theatre industry, the Sunday Times commissioned Gray to go behind the scenes at the Olivier Awards for a Spectrum feature that ran in the Sunday Times magazine on 3 April. The beautiful colour and black and white shots feature a who’s who of London theatre including Amanda Holden, Stephen Sondheim, Barry Manilow, Elisabeth Moss, Angela Lansbury, Michael Ball, Sheridan Smith and Anne-Marie Duff.

A book and exhibition are the next the logical next steps for Gray, but for the time being he’s happy to be busy out there, getting the work done. “Perhaps next year after my 5th BAFTA”, he said.

LINKS

Charlie Gray’s website

The Sunday Times website

GALLERY

SUNDAY TIMES MAGAZINE SPREAD

Shrek The Musical & The Prince’s Foundation For Children & The Arts Announce A Royal Gala Performance In The Presence Of Hrh The Prince Of Wales

TICKETS ON SALE TODAY

THE ROYAL GALA MARKS THE START OF AN ONGOING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE NEW STAGE MUSICAL AND CHILDREN & THE ARTS

SHREK THE MUSICAL® and The Prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts today announced that a Royal Gala performance will be held on Wednesday 8 June at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, President of The Prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts, will attend this special performance, hosted by Jeffrey Katzenberg, Chief Executive Officer of DreamWorks Animation SKG, which will be in support of Children & the Arts.

Tickets are now on sale. Prices start from £20. To book online visit www.shrekthemusical.co.uk

The Royal Gala performance marks the beginning of an ongoing relationship between DreamWorks and Children & the Arts. The cast, creative team and producers of SHREK THE MUSICAL® will work closely with Children & the Arts to jointly develop a new educational project that aims to introduce young people to the art of musical theatre and to encourage participation in all aspects of production.

‘We’re absolutely delighted to have a Royal Gala performance in the presence of our President, His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales for possibly the year’s most anticipated West End opening.

But this is much more than just a single performance. This is the start of an exciting joint effort between Children & the Arts and SHREK THE MUSICAL, where we will combine our knowledge and experience to run activities that will inspire, challenge and develop those children who have had very little access to the arts.’ – Jeremy Newton, Chief Executive, The Prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts.

“DreamWorks is thrilled to bring Shrek The Musical to London’s West End and we are honored to welcome His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales to the Gala performance at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane on the 8th of June,” commented Jeffrey Katzenberg, Chief Executive Officer of DreamWorks Animation. “We look forward to further extending DreamWorks’ relationship with Children & The Arts on an educational program that focuses on the development of core musical theatre skills, which we hope will contribute to the Foundation’s commendable work for years to come.”

Children & the Arts champions the power of the arts to transform lives and strives towards a future where all children in the UK gain access to the arts. The Charity reaches out to the many children who, through social or economic disadvantage, are denied access to cultural venues and to high-quality arts activity. They have worked with over 100,000 children since 2006, and hope to substantially increase this figure over the next few years.

Further information on the education collaboration between Children & the Arts and SHREK THE MUSICAL® will be announced in the next few weeks.

SHREK THE MUSICAL® opens at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on June 14 2011 (previews from May 6) starring Nigel Lindsay as Shrek, Richard Blackwood as Donkey, Nigel Harman as Lord Farquaad and Amanda Holden as Princess Fiona. Produced by DreamWorks Theatricals and Neal Street Productions, the new stage musical 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.

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).
Tickets for the Royal Gala and all other performances are now on sale.
For more information about The Prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts please visit www.childrenandarts.org.uk

Release issued by: The Corner Shop PR

LINKS

Book tickets to the Shrek The Musical Royal Gala in aid of the Prince’s Foundation for Children and the Arts

Book tickets to Shrek The Musical

More presenters announced for Olivier Awards

The Society of London Theatre has released more details of the presenters at this year’s revamped Olivier Awards, at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane on 13 March 2011.

Showbiz stars who will be presenting awards include:

• Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller, current stars on Frankenstein
• Anne-Marie Duff, star of the Old Vic’s Cause Celebre
• Elisabeth Moss (Peggy from Mad Men), currently appearing in The Children’s Hour at the Comedy Theatre
• Actor Rupert Everett
• The League of Gentlemen and the National’s Season’s Greetings star Mark Gatiss
• Amanda Holden from Shrek The Musical
• Elaine Paige
• Tamara Rojo, Royal Ballet star
• Star of The Wizard of Oz, Danielle Hope
• Wicked’s Rachel Tucker
• Actor Patrick Stewart

They will join already announced stars that include Lost star Matthew Fox and Olivia Williams, the star of In A Forest, Dark and Deep at the Vaudeville Theatre, and Alfie Boe, opera and musicals leading man, who will play Jean Valjean in the West End production of Les Miserables this summer.

Also the first musical number presenters have been confirmed as legendary singer / songwriter Barry Manilow, who will be performing a number alongside West End star Kerry Ellis (Wicked, Oliver!).

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