Final rehearsals taking place for Carrick-on-Suir Musical Society's panto SHwREK'D

Rehearsals are reaching their climax for Carrick-on-Suir Musical Society’s autumn pantomime – SHwREK’d – and demand is high for tickets for the show, which went on sale last week.

The pantomime based on the famous swamp living animation film character Shrek will be staged at the Strand Theatre from Wednesday, October 23 to Sunday, October 27.

Audiences are in for a real treat with plenty of laughs and great song and dance routines in store in the original panto co-written by the show’s director Sandra Power and her husband Conor Power.

The show is loosely based on the famous Hollywood animation Shrek films with the fun filled fantasy plot centring on Shrek’s daughter and two sons who live in the town swamp of a fairytale version of Carrick-on-Suir.

Declan Smith-Robinson fills the shoes of Shrek while James Dooley reprises his role as the panto dame Princess Fiona.
Bobby Landers is Puss in Boots and Caolan Deehy-Power plays Donkey.

Ger Breen and Maria Raynor are taking on the roles of the panto’s baddies Lord Farquaad and the Evil Fairy Goodmother.

Meanwhile, Niamh Healy plays Delilah, Kyle Walsh is the Gingerbread man and Shreks kids are played by Shaunie Byrne, Clodagh Carroll, Lana Walsh and Áine Fitzgerald.

SHwREK’d will also feature performances from 120 members of Carrick Musical Society’s Academy of Performing Arts, who range in ages from 5 to 16-years-old.

Carrick Musical Society Chairman Caolán Deehy-Power said the cast are rehearsing every night and at weekends at the moment in preparation for the show’s opening night next week.

He reported that ticket sales are going really well but tickets are still available for many performances.

Mr Deehy-Power said the Society will have a sensory matinee performance on Sunday, October 27 that is suitable for children and adults with special sensory needs. The theatre’s lights will be slightly dimmed and music played at a lower level for the performance.

Another way the Musical Society has made the panto more inclusive to people with special needs is by including a neurodiverse character in the show.

The panto will be staged nightly between Wednesday and Saturday at 7.30pm and there will be 2.30pm matinee performances on the Saturday and Sunday.

The Sunday matinee will be a performance suitable for people who have special sensory needs. 

Tickets for SHwREK’D are on sale online at www.ticketsource.eu/
strandtheatre.

They are also available to purchase at the Strand Theatre Box Office this Wednesday, October 16 from 3pm to 5pm and Thursday, October 17 from 11am to 1pm.

The Box Office telephone number is (051) 645050. 

Pictured below: Ger Breen who will play the role of the evil Lord Farquaad