Amelia Lily stars as Princess Fiona in Shrek the Musical UK and Ireland tour. Picture: Chris Gardner
Former X Factor star Amelia Lily will join the touring production of the hit fairy tale with the green-tinged twist, Shrek The Musical in April 2018.
The singer, who appeared in the West End premiere production of Green Day’s American Idiot, will share the role of Princess Fiona with Call the Midwife’s Laura Main while Main is away filming the hit BBC series.
Commenting on her casting, Lily said: “I had my first taste of performing as Princess Fiona back in 2012 when I donned the famous green dress for a Children in Need special. It was an incredible experience, so when the opportunity came up to reprise the role, I jumped at the chance. I can’t wait to set out on a road trip across the country with all my fairy tale friends.”
Lily will join the previously announced Steffan Harri as Shrek, Marcus Ayton as the outsize ogre’s mischievous sidekick Donkey and Samuel Holmes who will take on the role of pint-sized villain Lord Farquaad.
The company members cast as supporting fairy tale characters will include: Adam Baker, Ethan Bradshaw, Michael Carolan, Joseph Dockree, Will Hawksworth, Sarah-Louise Jones, Reece Kerridge, Thomas Lee Kidd, Amy Oxley, Jemma Revell, Lucinda Shaw, Sam Stones, Adam Taylor, Jennifer Tierney, Sophie Wallis, Francesca Williams, Laura Wilson and Kevin Yates.
Nigel Harman will once again take charge when the musical tale of Shrek, Princess Fiona, Donkey and co hits the road again. Harman, who originated the role of Lord Farquaad when the musical version of the Oscar-winning DreamWorks Animation film opened in the West End in 2011 (winning an Olivier Award), made his directorial debut on the musical’s first UK and Ireland tour in 2014.
The tour will launch with a Christmas season at the Edinburgh Playhouse from 12 December until 7 January 2018 before taking in dates in Manchester, Sunderland, Birmingham, Aberdeen, Northampton, Sheffield, Cardiff, Stoke, Blackpool, Woking, Liverpool, Canterbury, Milton Keynes, Bristol, Llandudno, Nottingham, Belfast, Dublin, Plymouth, Southampton and Leeds.
Main is scheduled to play in the following cities; Edinburgh, Manchester, Sunderland, Birmingham, Aberdeen, Northampton, Sheffield, Cardiff, Woking, Liverpool, Milton Keynes, Plymouth, Southampton and Leeds. Lily is scheduled to perform in Stoke, Blackpool, Norwich, Canterbury, Bristol, Llandudno, Nottingham, Belfast and Dublin.
Based on the story and characters from William Steig’s book Shrek! and the much-loved feature film, Shrek The Musical was originally directed in the West End by Jason Moore and Rob Ashford. The show has book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire, music by Jeanine Tesori, with set and costume design by Tim Hatley.
Nearly 800,000 people saw the show during its first UK and Ireland tour when it visited 25 major venues over 20 months. The production was first staged in the UK at London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane in 2011. Since opening on Broadway in 2008, the show has toured across the USA and Canada. Productions have 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 will be presented by Neal Street Productions, Playful Productions, Ron Kastner, Saracen Films, Tulchin/Bartner Productions, Gavin Kalin, Glass Half Full Productions/Just For Laughs Theatricals, Lee Menzies and Mark Cartwright.
Angela Thomas
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