Rainford High students bring Shrek to life

Rainford High is celebrating after selling out all four nights of its recent ‘Shrek the Musical’ production.

The performance featured a cast of 80 talented students, supported by a dedicated tech and backstage crew of 10. It showcased the incredible effort and commitment of the school’s performing arts community.

Overall, students clocked up an impressive 100 hours of rehearsal time to bring the magical world of Shrek to life on stage.

Shrek the Musical follows the grumpy but goodhearted, green ogre Shrek, who is happy to live alone in his swamp, until a group of fairy tale characters arrive seeking refuge from the cruel Lord Farquaad. Shrek must rescue Princess Fiona from a fire-breathing dragon to save his swamp, but he soon discovers that she is very different from what he imagined.

Taking on the role of Shrek was Year 11 student, Sasha Giblin, while Year 13 student, George Haggerty, brought Donkey to life. Both Year 11 student, Esme Dobson, and Year 13 student, Natasha Wilde, played Princess Fiona. The villainous Lord Farquaad was portrayed by Charlotte Grange from Year 13.

Sasha said:

“I always love taking part in the school shows as the staff create an environment where it feels like we are one big family.”

Mrs Helen Abbott, head of performing arts at Rainford High, commented:

“This has been one of the best shows we have ever produced. Our amazing cast and crew put in hours of practice and delivered a stellar performance that entertained and captivated every audience member. A huge thank you to those who came to watch.”

Mr Ian Young, principal of Rainford High, added:

“I am incredibly proud of every single student who took part in Shrek the Musical. From the cast on stage to the backstage teams, everyone worked together, supported each other, and gave their very best. This performance is a great example of our ethos at Rainford High, that ‘Everyone Matters, Everyone Helps, Everyone Succeeds’.

“The creativity and teamwork our students showed over weeks of rehearsals created a performance that had the audience laughing and cheering every night. Well done to everyone involved!”