A student from the Stagecoach theatre school in Bath has taken centre stage in the hit West End and Broadway production of Shrek The Musical in Bristol.
Nine-year-old Maia West sailed through the audition organised by the Stagecoach Agency, to secure the part of the one of the lead characters, the Young Princess Fiona.
The UK and Ireland Tour of SHREK THE MUSICAL® is directed by Nigel Harman who starred as Lord Farquaad in the West End production at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, winning him the 2012 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical.
Stagecoach Principal, Sandra Mayo, said: ‘Maia is delighted to be performing in the show. All the children are fans of the film and were absolutely ecstatic to find out they’d landed roles in the musical.
“They have trained very hard over the past year and this is a great reward for their efforts.’
Maia, student at Stagecoach Bath, said: ‘Finding out I’d got a part was one of the happiest days of my life. Rehearsals are so much fun and I can’t wait to get on stage for the first show.
“We’re all really lucky to have this opportunity and would like to thank our parents, teachers and Stagecoach for all their support.’
The story follows an unlikely hero and his loyal steed Donkey as they embark on a quest to rescue the beautiful Princess Fiona from a fire-breathing dragon.
Add the diminutive Lord Farquaad, a gang of fairytale misfits, and a biscuit with attitude and you’ve got the biggest, brightest musical comedy around
Alongside Maia, SHREK THE MUSICAL® will star Dean Chisnall as beloved swamp-dwelling ogre ‘Shrek’, the role he previously played in the West End, Faye Brookes as damsel in distress ‘Princess Fiona’, Idriss Kargbo as Shrek’s wisecracking sidekick ‘Donkey’ and Gerard Carey as pint-sized villain ‘Lord Farquaad’.
They will be joined by a full company of fairy-tale characters including Bronté Barbé, Nikki Bentley, Jennifer Caldwell, Candace Furbert, Steffan Harri, Will Haswell, James Lacey, Mia Lincoln, Rory Maguire, Neil Moors, Jenny O’Leary, Georgina Parkinson, Ryan Reid, Leo Roberts, Jacqui Sanchez, Oliver Tester, James Winter, Kerry Winter and Kevin Yates.
SHREK THE MUSICAL® will run at the Hippodrome, Bristol from 19th August to 7th September. Tickets for the shows are on sale now and available online at: shrekthemusical.co.uk/tour-dates/.
