News

Ex-EastEnder Neil McDermott will join the cast of the spectacular family musical Shrek at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane from Wednesday 29th February 2012. McDermott, who became well-known as bad boy 'Ryan Malloy' on the BBC soap opera, will take over the role of diminutive despot ‘Lord Farquaad’ from another former Albert Square heartthrob, Nigel Harman. Dean Chisnall, who is currently understudying Nigel Lindsay as loveable ogre ‘Shrek’, will also step into the leading role from the same date. Girls Aloud star Kimberly Walsh will continue to play ‘Princess Fiona’.

Neil McDermott’s theatre credits include Henry IV (Donmar Warehouse), Aladdin (The Old Vic), Bad Girls (West Yorkshire Playhouse), The Sound of Music (London Palladium), Follies (London Palladium) and La Cage aux Folles (Menier Chocolate Factory). His TV credits include Doctor Who, The Royal and EastEnders - where he came through many memorable scrapes as ‘Ryan Malloy’ from April 2009 to August 2011.

Dean Chisnall’s theatre credits include The Woman in White (Palace Theatre), Evita (Adelphi Theatre), La Cage aux Folles (The Playhouse) and Love Never Dies (Adelphi Theatre). He is best known for creating the role of ‘Ash’ in the hit musical Never Forget, based on the songs of Take That. The show played an extensive regional tour before arriving at the West End’s Savoy Theatre in 2008.

The Tale of a Most Unlikely Hero!

Based on William Steig’s book Shrek! and the Oscar-winning DreamWorks animation film of the same title, Shrek the Musical is the hilarious story of a swamp-dwelling ogre who must rescue a princess from a fearsome dragon to win the favour of a short-tempered ruler and reclaim the deed to his land. Nigel Lindsay stars as loveable ogre Shrek, Kimberley Walsh is feisty as Princess Fiona, Richard Blackwood plays the talkative donkey and Nigel Harman gets down his knees as the despicable Lord Farquaad.