Shrek The Musical cast announced

Meet our cast of ogre achievers for Shrek The Musical, the Broadway stage extravaganza heading to New Zealand these July school holidays.

Playing the role of the sarcastic swamp-dwelling ogre Shrek is TOM KNOWLES (Iwi: Rongowhakaata) who has featured in some of the best-known productions in the world, including Grease, Saturday Night Fever and ;Little Shop of Horrors as well as performed in The National Theatre of London production of The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil, in collaboration with Bret McKenzie; and the Harcourt-McKenzie's latest verbatim show, Transmission.

Tom's TV credits include The Brokenwood Mysteries; The Māori Sidesteps; and the Export low carb beer advert which featured the award-winning song, I'm drinking it for you. He has performed with the Modern Māori Quartet and regularly plays in multiple bands around New Zealand.

Shrek’s long suffering wife Fiona will be played by KARLA LYFORD. Recent credits include Scaramouche (We Will Rock You), Éponine (Les Miserables), and Christine Daaé (The Phantom of the Opera). Though she is currently based in the Bay of Plenty, she has lived and travelled around the world, and a recent highlight of her career was performing in the Best of the West End concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London where she was part of a back-up vocalist choir for various West End stars in 2018.

Country music star and stage veteran CAMERON CLAYTON will be Donkey, the hyperactive steed. Starting at the age of 10 in country music competitions, the stage has become a second home to Cameron for the past 25 years. Before leaving school to pursue theatre, Cameron had the privilege of performing throughout NZ, Australia, and the USA with country music and held the title of Gore Gold Guitar Overall Winner, NZ Entertainer of the year, and Trans-Tasman Entertainer of the year. Cameron has had the honour of performing as Darryl Van Horne in Witches of Eastwick, Angel in Rent, Munkustrap in Cats, and Claude in Hair' as well as a backing vocalist for Christmas in the Park, and multiple artists and recording studios.

Back from the West End, NIC KYLE will play Lord Farquaad, the comically short, ruthless ruler of Duloc. Nic has been acting professionally for 15 years in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Germany and London. Broadway and London theatre credits include Savage (The Arts Theatre, Westend); The Grand Tour (Finborough Theatre); Closer to Heaven (Union Theatre); Party (Above the Stag Theatre); I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (Battersea Barge Theatre); Monty Python’s Spamalot (English Theatre Frankfurt); Coffin (Drayton Theatre); Miller’s Crossing; Star Wars; Dr. Strangelove; 28 Days Later & Back to the Future (Secret Cinema London). Nic's New Zealand & Australia credits include The Producers; Le Cage Aux Folles; Anything Goes; Cabaret; The Cape; Kiss of the Spider Woman; Baghdad Baby; The History Boys; I Love You You’re Perfect Now Change; Grease, Jesus Christ Superstar; Ladies Night (Court Theatre); Blood Brothers; Sweeney Todd; The Wizard of Oz (Peach Theatre Company); Assassins (Watch This!); In the Next Room (Fortune Theatre); Mum's Kitchen (Meteor); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Christchurch Arts Festival); The Importance of Being Ernest (Scriptease Productions); Jesus Christ Superstar (SCMT) and Miss Saigon (Showbiz Christchurch).

Based on The Academy Award-winning animated film Shrek, the hilarious story of everyone's favourite ogre will be brought to life on stage at the Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre in Auckland in the April school holidays followed by seasons in Hamilton at Clarence Street Theatre, Christchurch’s iconic Isaac Theatre Royal then Wellington’s St James Theatre.

This lavish multi-million-dollar musical is part romance, part twisted fairytale and all irreverent fun that brings all the beloved characters you know from the film to life on stage and proves there's more to the story than meets the ears.

In a faraway kingdom turned upside down, things get ugly when an unseemly ogre — not a handsome prince — shows up to rescue a feisty princess. Throw in a donkey who won’t shut up, a bad guy with a short temper, a cookie with attitude, and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you’ve got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily, there’s one on hand … and his name is Shrek.

Shrek The Musical has been enjoyed by audiences around the world since 2008, having toured Australia, the US, UK, Asia, Canada, South America and Scandinavia among others. Now it’s your turn New Zealand.

As Shrek would say, it’s better out than in! Shake off your Covid blues and make your friends “green” with envy with a ticket to Shrek the Musical this July in Auckland and Hamilton. Tickets available from Ticketmaster and Ticketek.