THE OGRE with a heart of gold

YOU HAVEN’T QUITE had the full theatre experience until you’ve seem a giant green ogre stomping across the stage. Well, get the kids ready, because “Shrek the Musical” is coming to Bangkok next month.
The stage show’s first international tour will be pulling into the Muangthai Rachadalai Theatre for eight performances, daytime and evenings, from July 1 to 5.
Drawn from the blockbuster 2001 DreamWorks animated film “Shrek” and the franchise it spawned, the musical debuted on Broadway in 2008 and turned into a globetrotting production last year.
If you’ve seen the movies, you know what kind of bizarre things can happen in a faraway kingdom when a beast rescues a beauty with the help of a loudmouthed donkey. The Shrek fantasy also has a villain with a short temper – common enough – but it’s otherwise packed with fairytale misfits, the better to find out what really makes a hero.
Offering some delightful hints at what’s in store are American actors Kyle Timson, who plays Shrek, and Lindsay Estelle Dunn, who has the role of Princess Fiona.

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN THIS PRODUCTION?
Dunn: When I saw it on Broadway I thought it was a role I could definitely play. And I’ve loved “Shrek” ever since the first movie came out. I was eight years old and obsessed with the story! So when I found out they were making a musical, I was really excited.
Timson: Being part of the international production is truly one of the greatest moments of my life, an opportunity to play a dream role, to see the world, to bring the musical theatre art form to countries where there isn’t any.

HAVE YOU ALWAYS DONE THEATRE?
Dunn: I’ve been doing theatre my whole life. I could sing before I could talk and dance before I could walk! I got a BA in musical-theatre performance.
Timson: I’ve been performing since I was in kindergarten. I just recently earned my degree in musical theatre and then did a musical production of “The Wedding Singer” in Virginia for four months.

HOW ARE THE BROADWAY AND TOURING VERSIONS OF “SHREK” DIFFERENT?
Timson: We have a slightly revamped set for the road, with a 10-by-six-metre video wall to project the backdrops instead of the painted drops used on Broadway. The video wall is cool because the scenery moves – the clouds move and the sun sets while we’re performing. And there are a lot of sunrises and sunsets in the show because Fiona turns back into an ogre at night, so it’s a really cool and realistic element.
Dunn: The script has also been improved a little. Everything is completely up to date and brand new, including the costumes.

WEARING SHREK’S COSTUME LOOKS LIKE A LOT OF WORK.
Timson: Physically it’s very rigorous. It’s a fat suit and the boots have four-inch lifts to give me the ogre size. Underneath Shrek’s shirt and pants I’m wearing a padded jumpsuit. The whole costume weighs about 15 kilograms.
I also wear makeup that combines prosthetics and a helmet that and gives me the Shrek ears. The prosthetic is glued to my face and all over the helmet to create the whole Shrek head. I also wear green gloves. So when the whole thing is done only my eyeballs and teeth show!

IT MUST BE DIFFICULT MOVING AROUND?
Timson: I can actually move all right. I only do a tiny bit of dancing because my movement is restricted, but I do walk a lot. The most restricting thing is the head. I can’t really turn my head, so I have to turn my whole body. It just becomes the physicality of the show – you get used to it.

WHAT ABOUT PRINCESS FIONA’S COSTUME?
Dunn: I change into the ogre twice during the show. I have about three minutes to go from princess to ogre, when I also have to wear a fat suit and the helmet like Kyle does, plus a wig and an ogre nose. At the end of the show I do a fast transformation – everything has to be done in 45 seconds. It’s crazy!

IS THERE ANYTHING EVEN MORE CHALLENGING?
Dunn: For me it’s this one scene at the beginning of Act 2. I come onstage by myself and sing a solo and then the ensemble joins me for another five-minute scene where I sing and dance. It’s very taxing physically. And of course sometimes the costume malfunctions!

WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR CHARACTERS?
Dunn: Fiona isn’t your typical princess. She’s a bit of a tomboy, feisty and down to earth. She’s not afraid to say no.
Timson: Growing up as a theatre kid in middle school and high school isn’t the most popular choice. And I was also a bigger kid, so I was always bullied a bit by the “cool” kids. So I definitely connect with Shrek.
Shrek has a different set of problems, but they’re cartoon versions of problems that everyone has. Everyone has something about themselves they think isn’t cool. The real beauty in Shrek is that he goes out on this adventure and realises that, somewhere out there, you’ll find someone who accepts you and loves you.
Here with the company it feels like that to me – to be surrounded by 51 people who are like me and have great passion for musical theatre.

DO YOU THINK THIS IS A SHOW EVERYONE WOULD ENJOY?
Dunn: It’s honestly for everyone. Kids love it, of course, but there are also some adult elements and jokes that would fly over a lot of the kids’ heads.

FAIRYTALE FOLLIES
“Shrek the Musical” runs from July 1 to 15 at the Muangthai Rachadalai Theatre. It’s in English with Thai surtitles.
Seats cost Bt1,500 to Bt4,500. For details, check www.ThaiTicketMajor.com and www.BECTero.com.