……BY BILLY SUTER……
DURBAN’S Young Performer’s Project, which gave us the South African premiere of Elf the Musical over the festive season, is presenting Shrek The Musical soon – and great news is that this site has four tickets to give away to one lucky person.
To win the four tickets to attend the 7pm, Saturday, April 26, performance at the new MiIkwood Theatre at Danville School, Durban North, see competition entry details at the end of this post.
Shrek the Musical will be the first production for 2025 to be staged by the Young Performers’ Project (YPP). It will run at the new, 290-seater Milkwood Theatre from April 25 to May 4. It is the first non-school, outside-hire production to use the new theatre.
YPP is the musical theatre youth initiative started in 2001 to nurture aspirant young “triple threat” performers. As usual with YPP productions, the show will feature local youth alongside a seasoned professional, that person being Lyle Buxton, who first played Shrek the green ogre a decade ago, in KickstArt’s hugely successful, award-winning production of Shrek The Musical.
The production team comprises Lisa Bobbert (director and set design), Evashnee Pillay (choreography), Des Govender (music direction), Anthony Govender (sound design), and Kathy and Dominic Singery (costumes, set and prop build).
Shrek The Musical has a cast of 35 performers, comprising senior primary and high school pupils, as well as post-matric students studying at Durban’s International School of Performing Arts (ISPA). Alongside the adult Shrek (Lyle Buxton), the cast comprises James Armstrong (ISPA) as Donkey; Chloe Marot (St Mary’s DSG) as the adult Fiona, and Damien Butt (ISPA) as Lord Farquaad.
YPP’s version of the musical sees three actresses playing Fiona – as a child, as a teen and as an adult; and two playing Shrek – a young Shrek and an adult Shrek. The cast was chosen at an open audition process last October.
Shrek the Musical tells of a contented, introverted, outsized ogre who lives happily alone in a swamp. However, Shrek’s solitude is disrupted when disgruntled and anxious fairytale creatures show up on his property after having been banished from the Kingdom of Duloc, on threat of death, by the evil and vertically challenged Lord Farquaad.
Irritated by having to share his calm and quiet swamp, Shrek journeys to meet Lord Farquaad, intending to undo the banishment. On the road, he rescues an opinionated, talkative Donkey.
Farquaad then challenges Shrek and Donkey to rescue the Princess Fiona, and the two unlikely companions set off to save the princess….
Young Performers’ Project has for the past 24 years staged an annual musical theatre show with a professional production team and a youthful cast (and at least one experienced industry performer every time) to provide the next generation of theatre practitioners with valuable experience of performing in a professional context.
“YPP is a structured programme designed to nurture performing arts talent from senior primary school level, to post matric and beyond,” explains the project’s Des Govender.
“Over the festive season, we staged the fun and fabulous Elf the Musical at the Durban ICC. We are delighted to open the year with Shrek– it is such a feel-good story, loved by young and old.”
Booking for Shrek the Musical is via Webtickets.
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WIN SHOW TICKETS… WIN SHOW TICKETS… WIN SHOW TICKETS
Care to put yourself in line to win FOUR TICKETS to the 7pm, Saturday, April 26, performance of Shrek the Musical, directed by Lisa Bobbert, at Durban North’s new Milkwood Theatre at Danville School?
You simply have to be a follower of the SoSuterBill site to win. At no cost.
If you are not already a follower, click on the word ‘…..SoSuterBill…..’ that appears under Billy Suter’s face on the red curtain at the top of this post. Next, scroll down a little and leave your email address in the blank space alongside the ‘Subscribe Free’ banner. You will then be a follower, and receive email notification whenever a new story is filed on the site.
Once you have subscribed (there is no cost), send your NAME and PHONE NUMBER via email (NOT THIS SITE’S CONTACT FORM) to sosuterbill@gmail.com and place the words ‘SHREK THE MUSICAL GIVEAWAY’ in the subject field.
Note that the competition closes at 6pm on Saturday, April 19, and the winner of the four tickets will be contacted soon after. His/her name will be posted in this spot thereafter. (The lucky winner of the four tickets is Desiree Smith).
Also note that tickets may not be exchanged for another performance and that the prize is for tickets only (not travel and/or accommodation should this prove necessary).
NOTE: PLEASE READ ENTRY DETAILS CAREFULLY AS SOME PEOPLE ARE ENTERING COMPETITIONS INCORRECTLY.
ALSO NOTE THAT ONLY ONE ENTRY PER SUBSCRIBER WILL BE CONSIDERED.
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.....SoSuterBill..... 