SHREK THE MUSICAL In its Final Weeks Of National Tour

Shrek the Musical, the award-winning Broadway and West End smash hit enters its final weeks to complete a hugely successful second major tour of the UK and Ireland where it has now been seen by nearly 2.5 million people. Returning to the city where the very first UK tour started, audiences have just three weeks left to see the critically and publicly acclaimed production which opens tonight at Leeds Grand Theatre and must end on 6 January 2019.

SHREK THE MUSICAL was first staged in the UK at London's Theatre Royal Drury Lane in 2011. Returning by popular demand following the unprecedented success of the first ever UK and Ireland tour, a brand new production opened for Christmas 2017 and has since travelled more than 5,000 miles to audiences across the country, taking in 24 major venues. The show, renowned for its award-winning set and costume design, has used over 12,000 prosthetic noses and over 400 Shrek faces across the 411 performances to bring a host of fairytale characters to life in a triumphant year-long run.

Starring Steffan Harri as the beloved swamp-dwelling ogre 'Shrek', Call the Midwife's Laura Main as 'Princess Fiona', Marcus Ayton as Shrek's wisecracking sidekick 'Donkey' and Samuel Holmes as pint-sized villain 'Lord Farquaad'.

The company of fairy-tale characters also includes Adam Baker, Ethan Bradshaw, Michael Carolan, Joseph Dockree, Will Hawksworth, Sarah-Louise Jones, Reece Kerridge, Thomas Lee Kidd, Christina Modestou, Amy Oxley, Jemma Revell, Sam Stones, Adam Taylor, Jennifer Tierney, Sophie Wallis, Francesca Williams, Laura Wilson and Kevin Yates.

Nigel Harman directs the production, having made his directorial debut on the first ever tour. Best known for his stage and television work, Nigel originated the role of Lord Farquaad in the West End, winning the Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical.

SHREK THE MUSICAL has received glowing reviews from across the UK and Ireland over the past 12 months. Opening in Edinburgh, it was hailed 'a real West End delight' from the Scottish Sun and it has gone on to pick up numerous 5 star reviews. Manchester Evening News praised the 'Shrek-tacular show', Sunderland Echo described it as faultless while What's On North East billed it 'THE show you will still be talking about come the end of the year and the one you'll want to watch again and again'. Aberdeen's Press and Journal told readers to 'Forget the Beast from the East, a far more entertaining monster is in town', in Cardiff, the Western Mail rated it 5 stars and the 'perfect family treat', and Dublin Live hailed it as 'a triumph of performance and production'. A 'must-see', 'the perfect family show' and continual high praise of the cast and production values have been highlighted extensively by critics and audience members alike covering the length and breadth of the country.

Join Shrek, our unlikely hero, and his loyal steed Donkey as they set off on a quest to rescue Princess Fiona from her tower, guarded by a fire breathing love-sick dragon. Add the vertically challenged Lord Farquaad, a gang of fairytale misfits, and a biscuit with attitude, and you've got an irresistible mix of adventure, laughter and romance, guaranteed to delight audiences of all ages! Featuring all new songs as well as cult Shrek anthem I'm a Believer, SHREK THE MUSICAL brings much-loved fairytale characters, plus a 14-foot dragon to life in an all-singing, all-dancing extravaganza.

SHREK THE MUSICAL is based on the story and characters from William Steig's book Shrek! and the Oscar-winning DreamWorks Animations feature film. Originally directed in the West End by Jason Moore and Rob Ashford, the production has book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire, music by Jeanine Tesori with multi award-winning set and costume design by Tim Hatley.

First seen on Broadway in 2008, where it was nominated for 8 Tony Awards and named winner of Best Costume and Set Design, SHREK THE MUSICAL has toured to nearly 150 cities in the USA and Canada, with productions having also played in Spain, Poland, France, Malaysia, China, Brazil, Italy, Denmark, The Netherlands, Estonia, Israel and Turkey.

The UK and Ireland tour of the original DreamWorks Production is presented by the original West End production team Neal Street Productions and Playful Productions with Ron Kastner, Saracen Films, Tulchin/Bartner Productions, Gavin Kalin, Glass Half Full Productions/Just For Laughs Theatricals, Lee Menzies and Mark Cartwright.

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