Further 'Shrek the Musical' Audition Information
(Updated 16th February 2025)
We’re delighted that you’ve applied to audition for our 2025 production of ‘Shrek the Musical’. This page will be kept updated with all of the latest information for the initial auditions being held (by role and age group) on Sunday 2nd March and Sunday 9th March.
All auditions are being held at The Catholic High School, Chester (CH4 7HS)
Please see below for further details on the relevant day for your group:
Sunday 2nd March - Principals & Fairytale Creatures (Age 13+)
Our first audition day will focus on the majority of principal and supporting names roles, although we’ve split the day in to time slots to avoid everyone needing to attend for the whole day. Note that we intend to cast two separate teams for the show where possible.
Shrek, Donkey and Farquaad – from 9:15am to 11am
(if you’d like to be considered for other roles, please be prepared to stay until 1pm)
Pinocchio, Papa Ogre, Captain of the Guards and Male Fairytale Creatures / Ensemble – from 11am to 1pm
Fiona and Dragon – from 1:15pm to 2:30pm
(if you’d like to be considered for other roles, please be prepared to stay until 4pm)
Gingy, Teen Fiona, Mama Ogre, Female Fairytale Creatures / Ensemble – from 2:30pm to 4pm
Once you arrive, we’ll greet you at the registration desk and give you a named sticker so that our audition panel can quickly recognise you during the audition. For this age group, we’d prefer parents to drop off and collect as there’s limited space in the foyer areas. Chester City Centre is just a short walk from the school and you’re welcome to remain parked in the car park if you wish.
The audition will initially be run in small groups, followed by solo auditions. Please familiarise yourself with the following musical numbers beforehand:
Shrek – Big, Bright, Beautiful World
Donkey – Don’t Let Me Go
Farquaad – The Ballad of Farquaad
Fiona & Teen Fiona – I Know It’s Today
Dragon – Forever
Fairytale Creatures / Ensemble – Story of My Life
Everyone will receive an email with the outcome of the audition by the end of Tuesday – we won’t keep you in suspense for too long! For principal roles there will almost certainly be a round of recall auditions on the Wednesday evening.
Sunday 9th March - Young Fiona, Junior Ensemble and Dancers (Age 9+)
This audition day will focus on the younger members of the cast – again, we’ll be aiming to cast two separate teams where possible.
Young Fiona – from 9:30am to 10:30am
Junior Ensemble – from 10:30am to 1pm
Dancers – from 12:45pm to 2:30pm
Once you arrive, we’ll greet you at the registration desk and give you a named sticker so that our audition panel can quickly recognise you during the audition. Whilst we will have experienced chaperones on hand to assist, for this age group we’d prefer parents to remain on site or nearby if possible.
For the role of Young Fiona, you should familiarise yourself with ‘I Know It’s Today’, although you’ll only be asked to sing a small section of it. For ensemble roles, you’ll sing a short section of ‘Big, Bright, Beautiful World’ but this will be taught on the day as a group. A short dance will also be taught on the day, so you may wish to bring jazz shoes if you have them.
Those auditioning to be in our team of dancers, please bring tap and jazz shoes.
Everyone will receive an email with the outcome of the audition by the end of Tuesday – we won’t keep you in suspense for too long! You may be asked to attend a recall audition on the following Wednesday evening.
Wednesday 5th March - Provisional Recall Date for Principals
Details to be confirmed. Likely to be 5pm until 9pm. Also likely to be used as an alternative audition day for those unable to attend on Sunday.
Wednesday 12th March - Provisional Final Recall Date
Details to be confirmed.
Venue
The audition venue for all days is The Catholic High School, Chester (CH4 7HS). There’s ample parking available on site.
What to Bring
Please bring something to drink and wear sensible, comfortable clothing & shoes.
Rehearsals
Rehearsals will take place on Wednesday evenings (6pm to 9pm) and Sundays (10am to 4pm) at The Catholic High School, Chester. Not everyone will be required to attend all rehearsals – a schedule will be released in advance every 4-5 weeks. Rehearsals for the younger cast members will mostly be on Sunday mornings or afternoons, rather than Wednesday evenings.
Fees
Each show costs us around £60,000 to produce. As a charity, this is funded entirely from ticket sales and fundraising. To contribute to these costs, we have a monthly fee of £36 per performer, which is set up as a Direct Debit. For those successful in auditioning, the payments will start in April and finish in September. This includes all rehearsals, costumes and scripts – there are no further expenses.
Of course, we wouldn’t want financial constraints to get in the way of talent, so do please talk to us if this contribution will cause difficulty. We’ll always do our best to help.