FIRST EVER UK & IRELAND TOUR OF HIT WEST END AND BROADWAY PRODUCTION OF
‘TAKING OGRE’ SUNDERLAND
DIRECTED BY NIGEL HARMAN
Sunderland Empire is delighted to announce that SHREK THE MUSICAL® will stomp into Wearside from Wednesday 11 – Sunday 22 November 2015. Coming direct from London, where it was seen live on stage by nearly a million people, the UK and Ireland tour of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane production of SHREK THE MUSICAL® is directed by Nigel Harman who starred as Lord Farquaad in the west end production, winning him the 2012 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical.
Hailed by critics and enjoyed by audiences of all ages, SHREK THE MUSICAL® opened at the Grand Theatre in Leeds on Wednesday 23rd July 2014. Additional tour dates include Birmingham, Glasgow, Sheffield, Norwich, Southampton, Plymouth, Milton Keynes, Bradford, Wolverhampton, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Cardiff, Wimbledon and Salford.
Producers Caro Newling, Neal Street Productions, and Nick Salmon, Playful Productions say:
We are very excited to be bringing SHREK THE MUSICAL® to the best venues across the UK and Ireland. Many years of fun with some of the best talents working in theatre today have gone in to its making and as a result it has thrilled audiences all over the world with its boundless enthusiasm and fun, we are delighted that the people of the UK and Ireland are taking SHREK to their hearts, just as we did at Drury Lane!
Director of SHREK THE MUSICAL® UK and Ireland Tour, Nigel Harman says: I am delighted to be returning to Shrek as its director. This show is very special to me with its dizzying blend of great characters, a hilarious script and sublime music. This production is visually stunning, and the story has the magic ingredient of moving at great pace while still being surprisingly intimate. In short, there was no way I was going to say no to the challenge of realising the production for the UK and Ireland.
Ben Phillips, General Manager, Sunderland Empire said: “We are delighted to announce that Shrek the Musical will play Sunderland Empire for a limited 2 week run this November. Audiences across the region will have the opportunity to enjoy this enchanting and magical smash-hit direct from London’s West End.’
SHREK THE MUSICAL®, originally directed (in the west end) by Jason Moore and Rob Ashford, is based on the story and characters from William Steig’s book Shrek! and the Academy Award®-winning DreamWorks Animations feature film.
SHREK THE MUSICAL® opened on Broadway in 2008 before touring to nearly150 cities in the USA and Canada. Productions ofSHREK THE MUSICAL® have played in Spain, Poland, France, Malaysia, China, Brazil, Italy, Denmark, The Netherlands, Estonia, Israel and Turkey. The UK and Ireland tour will be presented by Dreamworks Theatricals, Neal Street Productions, Playful Productions, Lee Menzies, Ron Kastner, Tulchin/Bartner Productions,Saracen Films,Mark Cartwright, Gavin Kalin, Glass Half Full Productions/Just For Laughs Theatricals.
Casting information for Sunderland to be confirmed.
Tickets go on sale on Friday 20 March to Theatre Card (10am) and to Groups (12 noon).
General on sale: 10am, Monday 23 March 2015.