Lindsay & Harman Confirmed for West End Shrek

Nigel Lindsay has been confirmed to star in the title role of the forthcoming West End transfer of Shrek the Musical.

According to the Daily Mail‘s Baz Bamigboye, Nigel Harman, who starred opposite Lindsay in Guys and Dolls in the West End in 2005, has also been confirmed to play vertically challenged villain Lord Farquaad.

As previously reported, Lindsay and Harman will play opposite Amanda Holden as Princess Fiona and Richard Blackwood as Donkey in the production, which opens at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane on 7 June 2011 following previews from 1 May.

Nigel Lindsay was recently seen on stage in Sucker Punch and on screen in Four Lions. His many other stage credits include the original productions of Dealer’s Choice, The Real Thing and The Pillowman, as well as Michael Grandage’s multi award-winning revival of Guys and Dolls. Prior to Shrek, he will star in Broken Glass, which runs at north London’s Tricycle Theatre from 6 October to 27 November 2010 (previews from 30 September).

Best known to TV fans from EastEnders and Hotel Babylon, Nigel Harman has bulked up his theatre credits in recent years. In addition to Three Days of Rain in the West End, he’s starred in Guys and Dolls (taking over from Ewan McGregor), The Caretaker, The Exonerated and The Common Pursuit.

Shrek the Musical premiered in December 2008 on Broadway, where it ran for just over a year. The West End offering will be based on the revamped US touring production, which launched from Chicago earlier this year and features new songs, additional scenes, “improved illusions” and “a newly styled dragon”, as previously reported.

The Anglo-American creative team is led by directors Jason Moore and Rob Ashford and includes David Lindsay-Abaire (book and lyrics), Jeanine Tesori (music), Tim Hatley (scenic, costume and puppet design), Hugh Vanstone (lighting design), Peter Hylenski (sound design), and Josh Prince (choreography).