Shrek The Musical presents school holiday seasons at Mandurah Performing Arts Centre and Crown Theatre Perth
Green make-up, a fat suit and prosthetics that accommodate his facial expressions, all go into the two-hour process of turning New Zealand musical theatre performer Falstaff Dowling-Mitchell into the title character of Shrek The Musical, and he would not have it any other way.
“I lost 10kg while on our last tour,” Dowling-Mitchell says, who has travelled with Shrek The Musical through New Zealand and the Middle East before the Broadway show’s current tour of WA.
“All the costumes actually came over from the West End production. I haven’t weighed mine but it’s very heavy. The custom-made boots alone have soles 8cm thick, where you wear your own shoes inside, and under the fat suit I wear an ice singlet … it melts and they put a new one on me at interval and fan me down.
“It’s like a workout every show, so I have to take good care of my health … When you’re singing and dancing and wearing all that under the hot lights, it’s next level.”
Camera IconFalstaff Dowling-Mitchell (centre) as Shrek in Shrek The Musical. Credit: Supplied
Featuring a cast of 16 New Zealand and Australian performers, the musical is packed with nostalgia as it follows the storyline of the original animated Shrek film, complete with beloved characters and the quotable banter between Shrek and Donkey.
“It’s got all the dialogue fans of the film know,” the 40-year-old says, who is also author of children’s book White Lies, Maori Legends and Fairytales.
“There’s punchy music that’s wonderfully written and it bounces along really well with humour and innuendo, as family entertainment at its best.
Camera IconFalstaff Dowling-Mitchell (right) as Shrek in Shrek The Musical. Credit: Supplied
“Every character gets their moment to shine and there’s a huge dragon that takes about eight people inside to move it around on the stage and fills up a whole shipping container when it travels.”
Dowling-Mitchell says while it is fun playing Shrek, striding around the stage and entertaining audiences with all the postures, gestures and facial expressions required of being an ogre, he also cherishes the character who wears his heart on his sleeve.
Camera IconFalstaff Dowling-Mitchell as Shrek in Shrek The Musical. Credit: Supplied
“It’s a really strong message for kids and teenagers, and everyone really, about accepting people for who they are, whether they’re an ogre, whether they’re a wooden boy, whether they’re a princess, so I don’t take that lightly,” Dowling-Mitchell says, who will play Shrek for the 99th time at the final Crown Theatre Perth performance.
Camera IconFalstaff Dowling-Mitchell as Shrek in Shrek The Musical. Credit: Supplied
“Shrek’s an ogre who is fated to sort of live in this swamp by himself for the rest of his life, where people see his imperfections, and then he dares to dream. He dares to, through meeting Donkey and Princess Fiona, think that maybe he could be more than just an ogre in a swamp by himself.
“Maybe he could get a princess, maybe he could have a best friend, maybe he could even be the hero, be worthy and be accepted. He learns a lot about himself, and he learns a lot about others.”
Shrek The Musical toured to Albany before shows at Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre, September 24-25, Mandurah Performing Arts Centre, September 27-28 and Crown Theatre Perth, October 3-6. Tickets at shrekmusical.com.au.
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