The 90-strong cast of Shrek the Musical are working hard in rehearsals across this summer term, getting ready to take to the stage of the Palace Theatre for their public shows on 2 & 3 August! (BTW – get your tickets here!)
Huge thanks to the wonderful team at the Palace, from Clive the technical wizard through to the whole incredible Jazz Hands team, who are all so supportive. Doing big mainstage shows really is a full-team effort and we couldn’t do it without the amazing support from the Palace Theatre team. It’s been fab to be able to duck over from our usual DAS Stage Left rehearsal space on occasion to do a few rehearsals on the mainstage this summer term, so our cast can get used to the backstage, wings, and size of the house. This kind of opportunity is invaluable learning and we’re so grateful.
Also big thanks to the seniors who have been so gracious and willing to come along to extra rehearsals so they can practice scenes with the juniors. This kind of cross-ages learning and exchange is our favourite part of doing a large-scale mainstage show.
It’s really important that these big shows raise aspiration and ambition – it is a huge endeavour and a real team effort. But we also want to make sure that the process is joyful, playful, and fun for all the children & young people taking part. Part of our Doorstep ethos is that the entire journey should be collaborative, warm, and enjoyable.
Doing a large-scale ambitious production with a cast of this size means that we need to generate 140 costumes – we do this as sustainably and greenly as we can, doing lots of re-purposing and ethical sourcing, as well as making from organic and sustainable materials. We also need to develop scenic design elements (Shrek lives in a swamp, you know!), props (giant spoon anyone?), technical support (our sound and lighting cues are often operated by young people who are mentored/supported), and all of this means we need to fundraise!
This again is a full team effort – and everyone gets involved to help. All ages, from juniors (age 6+) and seniors are getting involved in two upcoming fundraiser events in May and June. This upcoming Sunday 19 May, we’re doing a sponsored walk from Brixham to Torquay. This is called ‘From One Theatre to Another‘ and you can quickly and easily donate your support here.
Next month, on Sunday 23 June, we’ll be doing a Doorstep Quiz & Raffle event. We are so excited about this! Liv and Hollie have been writing some very tricky questions and we’ve got some incredible raffle prizes donated by the families we work with. More details to come – but do hold the date! It’s going to be hilarious and wonderful.
Huge thanks to everyone who supports this process – but most especially to the parents & carers who tirelessly give lifts to rehearsals, and provide support in so many ways. We think of the ‘Doorstep family’ as being a huge extended group of all of us – the collective endeavour of ensuring that children & young people can access the arts and grow their confidence, power, and agency through these kinds of ambitious experiences. We all make the story happen!
