PRESS RELEASE IMAGES CAN BE DOWNLOADED HERE Twitter/ Facebook / Website #FairytaleCast CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR THE NEW NATIONWIDE TOUR OF SHREK THE MUSICAL CAST INCLUDES STEFFAN HARRI AS ‘SHREK’, CALL THE MIDWIFE STAR LAURA MAIN AS ‘PRINCESS FIONA’, MARCUS AYTON AS ‘DONKEY’ AND SAMUEL HOLMES AS ‘LORD FARQUAAD’ NIGEL HARMAN RETURNS AS DIRECTOR FOR THE HIT PRODUCTION, OPENING AT THE EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE FOR CHRISTMAS 2017 Believe all ‘ogre’ again! SHREK THE MUSICAL® today announces casting for the major nationwide tour. Following the unprecedented success of the first UK and Ireland tour, the original production team reunites to bring the hit musical to a swamp near you. Opening at Edinburgh Playhouse for the festive season this year from 12 December, the production will then tour throughout the country in 2018. Leading the cast as beloved swamp-dwelling ogre ‘Shrek’ will be Steffan Harri, having previously starred in the original UK tour of SHREK THE MUSICAL®, and Call the Midwife star Laura Main as ‘Princess Fiona’. Due to filming commitments Laura will be performing at selected venues throughout the tour, with full list of dates below*. Also joining the cast will be Marcus Ayton as Shrek’s wisecracking sidekick ‘Donkey’ and Samuel Holmes as pint-sized villain ‘Lord Farquaad’. Further casting to be announced. The company of 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. Laura Main (Princess Fiona) says: ‘I’ve been waiting a long time for an adventure like this to come along and now that it has I am ready to swap the surgery for the swamp in one of my favourite musicals. Shrek has made a Believer out of me and I can’t wait for this fairytale to take me across the country.’ Caro Newling (Co-Producer, Neal Street Productions) says: ‘At Neal Street we take pride in bringing together colleagues from different disciplines in new creative collaborations. For this Shrek tour, we are particularly excited to be bringing together Nigel Harman, with whom we have worked on many successful Neal Street projects, and Laura Main who joined Call The Midwife for the very first series back in 2012. Since Shrek the Musical’s West End debut in 2011 we have opened our doors to nearly 2 million audience members nationwide. It's great to be out on the road again, ten years after Neal Street co-produced the first incarnation of the show with DreamWorks Animation in Seattle and then on Broadway.’ Nick Salmon (Co-Producer, Playful Productions) says: ‘I am thrilled that the show will be reuniting many of the talented team members who have been involved in the production since day one. Nigel has gone from being Lord Farquaad, in the West End to directing our touring production and Steffan, who was previously one of our hilarious Three Pigs, will be stepping into Shrek’s ogre-sized shoes. We can’t wait to bring this much loved story to audiences across the country once more.’ Opening at Edinburgh Playhouse for the Christmas 2017/18 season from 12 December to 7 January, the production will then tour to Manchester, Sunderland, Birmingham, Aberdeen, Northampton, Sheffield, Cardiff, Stoke, Blackpool, Woking, Liverpool, Canterbury, Milton Keynes, Bristol, Llandudno and Leeds, plus newly added venues in Norwich, Nottingham, Belfast, Dublin, Plymouth and Southampton. As previously announced, Nigel Harman will return as director, having made his directorial debut on the first ever tour. Since then Nigel has gone on to direct Lunch & The Bow of Ulysses (Trafalgar Studios) and will direct Kelsey Grammer in Big Fish The Musical (The Other Palace) this autumn. 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. Steffan Harri starred in the first ever UK tour of Shrek the Musical, covering the role of Lord Farquaad. West End theatre credits include Les Misérables (Queen’s Theatre), Spamalot (Playhouse Theatre) and Children of Eden (Prince of Wales Theatre). Steffan also played Lyn in Welsh language soap opera Rownd a Rownd. Laura Main is best known for her role as Shelagh Turner in the award-winning Call the Midwife (BBC/Neal Street Productions). Appearing initially as Sister Bernadette, she left behind her life as a nun to marry Dr Turner. Laura has appeared in all six series to date and will return for this year’s Christmas special and series 7 in 2018. She has also had regular roles as Rebecca Howlett in The Mill (Channel 4) and DC Alison Bain in Murder City (ITV). Stage credits include Company (Southwark Playhouse), Me and Juliet (Finborough Theatre) and State Fair (Trafalgar Studios / Finborough Theatre). Marcus Ayton’s recent credits include Sammy Davis Jr in The Rat Pack Live, Ray Charles in A Tribute to the Brothers Live and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (UK Tour). Samuel Holmes is currently appearing as George in the UK Tour of The Wedding Singer. Other stage credits include Mrs Henderson Presents (Theatre Royal Bath; Noel Coward Theatre), Water Babies (Curve Theatre), Spamalot (Playhouse Theatre), Kiss Me Kate (Chichester Festival Theatre) and Crazy for You (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre; Novello Theatre). 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. The UK and Ireland tour of the original DreamWorks Production will be 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. *Laura Main is scheduled to play at the following venues; Edinburgh, Manchester, Sunderland, Birmingham, Aberdeen, Northampton, Sheffield, Cardiff, Woking, Liverpool, Milton Keynes, Plymouth, Southampton and Leeds. The producers cannot guarantee the appearance of any particular artists subject to holiday, illness or events beyond the producers’ control. ENDS For further information please contact THE CORNER SHOP PR on 0207 831 7657 Francesca Hoare [email protected] Su-Ann Chow-Seegoolam [email protected] UPDATED LISTINGS INFORMATION Tuesday 12 December 2017 - Sunday 7 January 2018 EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE www.atgtickets.com/edinburgh 0844 871 3014 Tuesday 16 January - Sunday 28 January 2018 PALACE THEATRE, MANCHESTER www.atgtickets.com/manchester 0844 871 3019 Wednesday 31 January – Sunday 11 February 2018 SUNDERLAND EMPIRE THEATRE www.atgtickets.com/sunderland 0844 871 3022 Wednesday 14 February – Sunday 25 February 2018 NEW ALEXANDRA THEATRE, BIRMINGHAM www.atgtickets.com/birmingham 0844 871 3011 Wednesday 28 February - Sunday 11 March 2018 HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE, ABERDEEN www.boxofficeaberdeen.com 01224 641 122 Wednesday 14 March – Sunday 25 March, 2018 ROYAL & DERNGATE, NORTHAMPTON www.royalandderngate.co.uk 01604 624 811 Wednesday 28 March – Sunday 8 April 2018 SHEFFIELD LYCEUM THEATRE www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk 0114 249 6000 Tuesday 10 April – Sunday 22 April 2018 WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE, CARDIFF www.wmc.org.uk 029 2063 6464 Wednesday 2 May – Sunday 13 May 2018 REGENT THEATRE, STOKE www.atgtickets.com/stoke 0844 871 7649 Tuesday 15 May – Sunday 27 May 2018 BLACKPOOL WINTER GARDENS THEATRE www.wintergardensblackpool.co.uk 0844 856 1111 Wednesday 30 May – Sunday 10 June 2018 NEW VICTORIA THEATRE, WOKING www.atgtickets.com/woking 0844 871 7645 Tuesday 12 June – Sunday 24 June 2018 LIVERPOOL EMPIRE www.atgtickets.com/liverpool 0844 871 3017 Tuesday 26 June – Sunday 8 July 2018 *On Sale 25 September NORWICH THEATRE ROYAL www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk 01603 630000 Wednesday 11 July – Sunday 22 July 2018 MARLOWE THEATRE, CANTERBURY www.marlowetheatre.com 01227 787787 Wednesday 25 July – Sunday 5 August 2018 MILTON KEYNES THEATRE www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes 0844 871 7652 Wednesday 8 August – Sunday 19 August 2018 THE BRISTOL HIPPODROME www.atgtickets.com/bristol 0844 871 3012 Tuesday 21 August – Sunday 2 September 2018 VENUE CYMRU, LLANDUDNO www.venuecymru.co.uk 01492 872000 Tuesday 11 September – Sunday 23 September 2018 THEATRE ROYAL NOTTINGHAM www.trch.co.uk 0115 989 5555 Tuesday 9 October – Sunday 21 October 2018 BELFAST GRAND OPERA HOUSE www.goh.co.uk 02890 241 919 Tuesday 23 October to Sunday 4 November 2018 *On Sale 27 October DUBLIN BORD GAIS ENERGY THEATRE www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie ROI : 0818 719 377 / UK & NI : 0844 847 2455 Tuesday 13 November – Saturday 24 November 2018 THEATRE ROYAL PLYMOUTH www.theatreroyal.com 01752 267222 Tuesday 27 November – Saturday 8 December 2018 MAYFLOWER THEATRE, SOUTHAMPTON www.mayflower.org.uk 02380 711811 Tuesday 18 December 2018 – Sunday 6 January 2019 LEEDS GRAND THEATRE www.leedsgrandtheatre.com 0844 848 2700 FURTHER TOUR DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED WEBSITE: www.shrekthemusical.co.uk TWITTER: www.twitter.com/shrekuktour FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/shrekuktour INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/shrekuktour YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/ShrekLondon .
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