Being a mum of two boys fart humor has recently become a key feature in many conversations. Taking my boys to watch Shrek the Musical at Sydney's Lyric Theatre hasn't helped that sorry situation. Not at all.
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I knew I was in trouble before the curtain was even raised for the first act. Over the tannoy the usual announcement asking audience members to switch off their phones was followed by a threat: "Please turn off your phones and mobile devices or I'll have my big green friend jump off the stage, pick you up and fart on your head."
Of course my boys, aged six and nine, thought that was hilarious and it set them up for two and a half hours of giggling. A perfect result.
We'd traveled from Wollongong on a Sunday evening to watch Shrek the Musical, playing at the Lyric Theatre in Sydney. It was a 6pm show but we'd heard great things about it and were hopeful it would be entertaining enough that our youngest would stay awake for the duration.
We weren't disappointed. It was a fast moving, energetic performance with lots of humor for adults and the kids. And both boys were still awake when the curtain went down at 8.35pm. (Not so much on the drive home. Winning.)
Newcastle's Ben Mingay, most recently seen in cinemas in Mel Gibson's Hacksaw Ridge, put on a very convincing Scottish accent to play Shrek. Reportedly he undergoes two hours in makeup to become the big green ogre but the silicone mask and the padding doesn't take anything away from the energy behind his performance.
While Lucy Durack was a fantastically frustrated Princess Fiona, it was Todd Mckenney as Lord Farquaad who stole the show with his fabulously wonderful pantomime villain performance of the evil dictator of Duloc who wants to rid the world of fairytale characters.
While the boys were busy giggling at the farting and burping from Shrek and Princess Fiona, the adults were tuned into Farquaad's innuendo strewn performance.
If you're a fan of Shrek the movie, the musical follows the story line very closely but there are a few twists and turns to keep the audience on its toes and the grand finale performance of I'm a Believer will have you dancing out of the theatre.
Shrek the Musical is on in Sydney until February 9th. It then travels to Melbourne's Her Majesty's Theatre from February 16 and finishes it's Australian run at the Lyric Theatre in Brisbane in June.
If you're considering going to one of these performances here's a few things to know:
- Your kids will think it's ok to fart and burp in your company.
- Expect to buy a 'swamp juice' slushie and pop corn and ice cream and a programme and everything else sugary. Including parking 'the extras' set us back another $120.
- Your kids may have outgrown Shrek ears, but you'll still feel an urge to buy them at $15 a pair.
- Your bag will be checked before you go into the performance. Ie, no sneaking in snacks.
- You'll want to watch Shrek the movie again. Immediately.
Tickets are still available for Shrek The Musical in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane with matinee and evening performances available. Tickets start at $49.