Auditions
Auditions and Workshop are open to GADS members and non-members.
Dates: We will be running a workshop on Thursday 13th February at 7:30pm in the Gosforth Public Hall where you can come along, meet the production team, learn about the show, what will happen at audition and what will be expected of you. You do not have to have filled in an audition form to attend this, but if you are planning on attending please let us know so we know how many people to plan for. You can confirm attendance by emailing gadsgosforth@gmail.com, Please also note that you will not receive access to the audition material until you have completed your form
Come along and ask any questions you have. Please attend wearing comfortable, sensible clothing as the evening will involve movement .
Auditions will take place on Thursday 20th and Thursday 27th February – also at 7:30pm in the Public Hall. You will need to complete the google form which can be found by clicking on this link . Once your form has been received you will receive an email explaining how you can access the audition material.
You will then be emailed the webpage link and password for the audition material.
Rehearsals
We will rehearse every Tuesday and Thursday starting on the 18th March with dress rehearsals taking place on the 14th, 21st & 22nd June with the performances taking place on the 26th, 27th and 28th June.
The full rehearsal schedule can be downloaded here as a pdf.
If you can not attend all rehearsals but would like to be in the show please just state on your audition form which rehearsals you can not attend. You will be required for all dress rehearsals and performances.
Performance style
The show is closely based on the first ‘Shrek’ film – and as such we have to respect audiences expectations of how they imagine the characters to be – whilst breathing life into characters by not making them a slavish copy of the film. This ‘comic’ fairytale suits performers who can give strong characterful performances – but this is NOT a pantomime – there needs to be truth and believability in the performance.
Warning re costume – Expect to be HOT! To create the look of the character the ogres may be wearing prosthetics and most performers will have some kind of character makeup and many may have fur costumes.
Please see below for character/role breakdowns for the various parts in the show. Please note that playing age is the age of the character not the age of the person playing the role. However, the person playing the part must be able to play someone of that age. For example, we could not have a 20 year old playing young Fiona, or a 10 year old playing adult Fiona.
ACT I Songs
Big Bright Beautiful World – Mamma, Pappa Shrek, King Harold, Queen Lillian, Chorus, Shrek
Story of my Life – Pinocchio and Fairytale Characters
The Goodbye Song – Fairytale Characters
Don’t let me go – Donkey
Whats up Duloc? – Lord Farquaad, Duloc Dancers and Chorus
I Know its Today – Fiona, Young Fiona and Teen Fiona
Travel Song – Donkey and Shrek
Forever – Dragon and back up knights
This is How a Dream Come True – Fiona
Who I’d be – Shrek, with Fiona and Donkey
ACT II Songs
Morning Person – Fiona, Pied Piper and Rats (Dancers)
I Think I Got you Beat – Fiona and Shrek
Ballad of Farquaad – Lord Farquaad
Make a Move – Donkey and ‘backup’ 3 blind mice
When words fail – Shrek
Build a Wall – Shrek
Freak Flag – Gingy/Sugar plum and Fairytale Characters
Big Bright Beautiful Reprise – Shrek
Finale – Fiona, Shrek, Donkey, Fairytale Characters, Chorus
I’m a Believer – Full Cast
Lead Characters
Shrek: (male – playing age 30s-40s)
An Ogre, Excellent actor and singer with great comedy skills. Suited to a performer of large stature. Abandoned as a child by his parents, and used to the hostile response from locals, he had to ‘toughen up’ and fend for himself. He is independent in spirit and life loving – and subsequently initially somewhat intolerant of his ideal life being disturbed. His ‘grumpiness’ is only superficial, revealing a highly likeable, and loveable character, who is somewhat afraid of opening up for fear of being hurt again. Audiences might expect a ‘Scottish’ twang to his accent – as per the film.
Fiona: (female – playing age 30)
A beautiful princess. Excellent actress and singer with great comedy skills. Tap dance skills an advantage but not essential but must be willing to learn. Abandoned as a child by her parents she has been entertaining herself in an isolated tower and developed a somewhat ‘quirky’ character beneath the conventional ‘princess’ exterior she initially tried to portray. She can be outspoken, clumsy and wacky. Not averse to having a burping/farting competition with Shrek – which suits her sense of humour. Hoping for a conventional princess life she is too unconventional to fill those shoes. Hides the secret of being ‘an ogre’ by night.
Donkey: (male or female – playing age 20-30)
A talking, walking donkey! Excellent comedian with strong singing and a good ‘mover’. A loveable personality though sometimes annoying talkative. He wears his heart on his sleeve (whether that is fear, joy, love or annoyance). ‘says it like it is’ and never uses one word when he can use ten. An almost childlike need to find a friend, he becomes Shrek’s loyal, optimistic side-kick and is unperturbed by the ogres appearance.
Lord Farquaad: (male – playing age 30-40s)
A king in waiting with classic ‘small-man syndrome’. Excellent comedian with good character singing (and strong knees!!). Desperate to marry so he can ascend the throne he is a power-hungry dictator who has banished all the ‘freaks’ from Duloc. Unfortunately, his dreams are undermined by being hilariously small, and neurotically temperamental. He hides that secret that he too is a ‘freak’ – with one of the seven dwarfs as a father. The actor plays the whole performance on his knees (with fake dwarf legs’.)
Dragon: (Female – may be 3 ladies to be confirm)
A dragon with a soulful voice. Excellent singer. The performer sings the song ‘Forever’. Transitions from a threatening beast to a love-struck ‘girlfriend’ when she falls for donkey. Potentially doubles up with another character.
Pinocchio: (male – playing age 15-20)
The wooden boy from the classic fairytale – with a twist. Strong character actor and singer. Performs the whole role in a falsetto voice. Outspoken, stroppy and frustrated – tends to bend the truth at which point his nose grows. One of the characters in the fairytale characters group.
Gingy: (female)
The gingerbread man. As in the movie Gingy is tortured by Farquaad in a comic scene. The character is a puppet for which the performer provides the voice. It is possible that the performer ill be off stage – miming to the puppet or could be doubled with ‘sugar plum fairy’ – Appears in Act II and sings the opening of ‘Freak Flag’.
Other Fairytale Characters
Our current thinking is the following will remain as written – featured roles with some solo dialogue or singing. The roles will be cast to evenly distribute across all voice types (soprano, mezzo, alto, tenor, baritone, bass) a lot of the character will double up as dancers and other parts throughout the show.
SUGAR PLUM FAIRY: (female) ‘Ballerina’ type. Sings verse of ‘Freak flag’
3 PIGS: (male or female): sing in 3 part harmony. German accents.
BIG BAD WOLF: (male) ‘Big’ but not ‘bad’. Is cross-dressing in granny clothes.
WICKED WITCH: (female) not ‘wicked’ but blunt. Straight talking and no nonsense.
HUMPTY DUMPTY: (female) An egg. Sings a big riff in ‘freak flag’
MAMMA BEAR: (female) of ‘goldilocks fame’ – kindly but assertive
FAIRY GODMOTHER: (female) quirky, bemused and bespectacled
WHITE RABBIT: (male) always late. For a very important date.
PETER PAN: (male) Naively believes he’s an eternal boy but is 34 and needs a shave!
UGLY DUCKLING: (female or male) Classic runt of the litter
Other roles:
THREE BLIND MICE: (female) Harmony on stage back-up singers or donkey in ‘Make a Move’.
KNIGHTS: (male or female) Harmony onstage back up singers for Dragon in ‘Forever’. Comic
GUARDS and CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD: (Male or female) Speaking roles
PIED PIPER: Speaking part in ‘Morning Person’
QUEEN LILLIAN & KING HAROLD: Young Fiona’s parents. Royalty, good singers. Very briefly only in the opening song when they sing a couple of lines as her parents when banishing her to the tower at age 7. Kind and benevolent in appearance – blissfully unaware that what they are doing has any negative connotations.
MAMA & PAPPA SHREK: Shrek’s parents. Good singers with comedy ability. Appear only in the opening song when they sing as his parents – sending him away aged 7. The song is shorter than on the broadway CD.
YOUNG FIONA: (female, playing age 7) Excellent singer and actress able to sing harmony. Appears in ‘I know its today’
TEEN FIONA: (female, playing age young teenager) Excellent singer and actress able to sing harmony. Appears in ‘I know its today’
YOUNG SHREK: (male, playing age 7) Good actor – non speaking/singing role. Brief appearance in first song.
CHORUS and DANCERS: Chorus appears in the opening song ‘Big Bright Beautiful World’ singing as ‘happy people’ in the Duloc song and in the final scene.
Dancers will perform in Duloc and as ‘rat tappers’ in morning person
Shrek – The Musical is based on the Dreamworks Animation Motion Picture and the book by William Steig.
This amateur production is presented by arrangement with Music Theatre International.
All authorised performance material are also supplied by MTI www.mtishows.co.uk
