‘Abysmal mess’ Critics tear into Shrek The Musical’s return to London

Critics have ripped into the new production of Shrek The Musical as it arrives in London.

Following a UK tour, the show has transferred to the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith for six weeks.

Antony Lawrence (Shrek), Joanne Clifton (Princess Fiona), James Gillan (Lord Farquaad), Todrick Hall (Donkey) and Cherece Richards (Dragon) lead the cast.

The show originally landed in the West End in 2011 and received generally favourable reviews, securing Olivier Award wins and nominations including Best New Musical.

More than a decade on and it seems the new incarnation – one separate to that US tour – isn’t doing quite so well to impress.

Described as a “shrektacular mess,” Nick Curtis from the London Evening Standard was particularly scathing. He criticised the adaptation for dialling down the original’s wit in favour of excessive toilet humour, awarding it just one star.

In a slightly more generous two-star review, Chris Wiegand of The Guardian noted that the show often felt “flatly unadventurous.” He highlighted a particularly lacklustre bridge-crossing sequence, lamenting that unlike the film’s layered storytelling, this musical felt shallow. According to Wiegand, the production fails to convey the depth that made the film a classic.

Anya Ryan from The Times didn’t hold back, labelling the adaptation a “thoroughly insufferable calamity.” Her one-star review also took aim at the cast as it criticised the production’s “abysmal singing and monstrous acting”.

Kirsten Grant of The Telegraph also gave the show two stars, citing a “forgettable score, indecipherable lyrics and excess toilet humour” as key flaws.

But there was praise for some elements, with Cherece Richards singled out as giving a “stand-out performance”.

Shrek The Musical currently plays through to 31 August at the Eventim Apollo.