Shrek Set for March 2011: Drury Lane or Palace???

Chatter has been revving up around the expected West End transfer of Broadway screen-to-stage musical Shrek. Previously tipped for the London Palladium – which is no longer available with The Wizard of Oz succeeding Sister Act there, posters on the Whatsonstage.com Discussion Forum are now tipping Shrek for a March 2011 opening at either the 2,200-seat Theatre Royal Drury Lane or the 1,400-seat Palace Theatre. At the former, Oliver! is currently booking through to 26 February 2011, while at the latter Priscilla Queen of the Desert is taking bookings up to 28 May 2011.

The stage adaptation of the animated films, about a lonely green ogre who finds happiness with the help of a wise-cracking donkey and a tough-talking princess, is produced by Sam Mendes’ Neal Street Productions and, in the company’s theatrical debut, the Hollywood studio Dreamworks. It has a score by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire. It’s directed by Jason Moore.

Shrek – The Musical premiered in December 2008 on Broadway, where it ran for just over a year. According to the boards, the West End offering will be based on the revamped US touring production, which launches from Chicago next month.