SHREK Opens at London's Theatre Royal Drury Lane, May 2011!

DreamWorks Theatricals and Neal Street Productions announced today that SHREK THE MUSICAL® will open at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in May 2011, with a press night on June 7, 2011. 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).

Casting, performance dates, and box office details will be released soon.

Tickets will go on sale to the general public on October 1, 2010. Register for priority booking and sign-up for our newsletter at www.shrekthemusical.co.uk.

SHREK THE MUSICAL® tells the story, loved by people of all ages, of the swamp-dwelling ogre who, in a faraway kingdom, 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 - not a handsome prince - 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 film's cast of dysfunctional characters and the accompanying subversive fun.

SHREK THE MUSICAL® 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. The original creative team has now re-assembled to stage the production with new songs and additional scenes. Currently in rehearsal, this production will tour 60 cities in the United States beginning in July 2010. The UK production will start rehearsals in London in early 2011.

SHREK THE MUSICAL® is Dreamworks Animation's first theatre venture. The production was initiated when Sam Mendes, a fan of the first 'Shrek' film, suggested the idea of creating a musical to Dreamworks Animation's Jeffrey Katzenberg around the time that the second film ('Shrek 2') was in production. The musical is produced by DreamWorks Theatricals (Bill Damaschke, president) and London-based Neal Street Productions (Caro Newling, producer).

The final chapter in the feature film series, 'Shrek Forever After,' is on general release in cinemas now and opens in the UK on July 2, 2010.