Shrek sure to wow

Rehearsals are underway to bring the fairytale of Shrek to life on the stage at Waimea College toward the end of June.
Around 150 students from the college are involved in all areas of the production, from actors to lighting and sound, costumes and set design, and the entire school orchestra.
Production manager Pauline Farley says the wait for the rights to the popular musical to become available has been worth it.
“The storyline is just so great and there’re so many characters it requires so much involvement from a lot of kids, so it’s just a great production to be doing,” says Pauline.
The story is part romance and part twisted fairytale that follows Shrek, an unlikely hero, and his loyal steed and wise-cracking Donkey, as they set off on a quest to rescue the beautiful, if slightly temperamental, Princess Fiona. Add the vertically challenged Lord Farquaad, a gang of fairytale misfits and a biscuit with attitude and you have a great mix of adventure, laughter and romance, suitable for all ages.
For year 13 student Rebecca Rea, landing the role of Princess Fiona came as a relief.
“I wanted it so bad, since I was year 9 I’ve wanted a main role in a production. And Fiona’s a princess, who doesn’t want to be a princess? Also, the fact she’s part ogre and part human is going to make for some interesting costume changes,” says Rebecca. The school says tickets will be available from next term via an online ticket service they’ll be trialling for the first time.