A Cynic in the Swamp: My Sunday with Shrek the Musical

Written by Andrew Matthews

11:00 AM on a Sunday is a miserable time to be awake, let alone surrounded by fairytale creatures. Yet, there I was at Het Amsterdams Theaterhuis for HEA Productions' Shrek the Musical. It was a matinee, so the sun was still a threat, but I was channeling Shrek himself. He’s just a guy who wants to be left alone in his swamp, but keeps getting interrupted by people bursting into song. I feel you.

Shrek’s (Gerrit Groot Karsijn) chemistry with Donkey (Jose Ross Barredo) was a real highlight. They would often break the fourth wall and lean into their own off-script humour, which I found genuinely delightful. At one point they had to carry a piece of the set away (a very small piece), and they’re grumbling to each other about not being appreciated. People often say ‘made it his own’ so I’ll try to avoid the phrase, but Shrek is a lovable, weird, interesting guy who managed to keep the soul of the original film character (probably in a jar with some earwax somewhere), while adding his own flavour. He was a joy to watch. And when he was forced to sing, man, could he sing. Full-on rockstar vibes.

Similarly, Donkey doesn’t try to emulate his movie counterpart. This stage Donkey is warm, kind-hearted, very funny and way cooler than me (even in a donkey outfit). I honestly prefer this to Eddie Murphy’s Donkey; he felt more genuine, you know?

And then there was Fiona. Honestly, Camille Gribbons was born for this. She nailed the weird duality of being a "girly" princess one second and leaning into the absolute grossness of her ogre side the next. She didn't hold back on the disgusting bits, which was unladylike, shameful, and absolutely fantastic. One of my favourite moments was when she went full Chicago showgirl, getting tossed around by 6 rats in gold sequined jackets. Peak absurdity. Which I’m always here for.

The Dragon (Neja Zrimšek Žiger) though, wow. She was something else entirely. Her voice was stunningly beautiful. Heavy and powerful enough to shake the room. Her solo number wooing Donkey was a genuine jaw-dropper; it was spellbinding and beautiful and I never wanted her to stop singing.

Lord Farquaad (Yorgos Gerakianakis) was hilarious. Apart from the visual joke of getting a very tall man to play a very short character, every time he came out onto the stage there were giggles rippling through the audience. You could tell he was really enjoying being the bad guy, and he was bad. I mean… good at being bad. You know what I mean.

To be perfectly honest, I preferred this version to the movie. It felt more tangible, more ridiculous, and significantly more alive.

The production value was honestly way better than it should’ve been. The quality of the costumes and music, the passion of the ensemble, you can really tell these actors love this show and each other.

I’m still firmly in the ‘leave me in my hole’ camp, but watching a collection of fairytale outcasts take down a teeny tiny tyrant made the early start almost justifiable. And it was a nice reminder that even the biggest and greenest of cynics has gotta have friends.

I'm going back to my swamp now.

A Cynic in the Swamp: My Sunday with Shrek the Musical

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