Have you ever wondered what happens behind the curtain before Shrek, Donkey, Fiona, and all your favourite fairytale characters step onto the stage?
StarCentral Kids was lucky enough to get a special behind-the-scenes tour of Shrek The Musical at the Sydney Coliseum Theatre in Rooty Hill, thanks to director Jeremy Hinman. And wow — it was like stepping into a real-life fairytale!
Becoming Shrek
One of the coolest parts of our visit was meeting Zac Parkes, the actor who plays Shrek. We got to see how he transforms into everyone’s favourite green ogre.
Did you know that Shrek’s famous green look isn’t just face paint? Zac wears a specially made green mask, carefully blended with makeup, to make him look just like Shrek. It takes a lot of time and skill to get it just right!
On top of that, Zac wears extra padding and costume layers to make him look big and strong, like the ogre we all know and love.
Meet the Dragon!
Next, we got up close to one of the most amazing stars of the show — the Dragon!
The giant dragon puppet is operated by four talented puppeteers working together as a team. Every flap of the wings, turn of the head, and movement of the body has to be perfectly timed. Watching them bring the dragon to life was absolutely incredible.
It felt like the dragon was a real creature!
Hanging Out with Donkey
We also met Iosia Tofilau, who plays the hilarious Donkey.
Off stage, Iosia is friendly and relaxed, but once he steps into character, he becomes the energetic and funny Donkey that audiences love. We even got to see some of the warm-up exercises he does before each performance.
The Secret of Lord Farquaad
One of the biggest surprises came when we met Olly Humphries, who plays Lord Farquaad.
Have you ever wondered how Farquaad looks so short on stage?
The secret is that Olly performs on his knees throughout the entire show! His costume is cleverly designed to create the illusion that he’s much smaller than everyone else. It’s a challenging role that requires lots of strength and practice.
A Costume Wonderland
Backstage was filled with colourful costumes, wigs, and accessories everywhere we looked.
There were costumes for fairies, witches, guards, woodland creatures, and many other fairytale characters. The wig collection was especially impressive, with every wig carefully styled and ready for the next performance.
It felt like walking through a magical dress-up room!
The Magic of the Stage
Standing on the stage without an audience was a very special experience.
We got to see giant castle pieces, enchanted forests, moving scenery, and the famous bridge over lava up close. The set changes quickly throughout the show, and it takes an amazing team to make everything run smoothly.
Teamwork Makes the Magic Happen
Director Jeremy Hinman explained how every part of the show works together — from the actors and dancers to the puppeteers, makeup artists, costume designers, lighting crew, and stage managers.
What we learned is that Shrek The Musical isn’t just about the stars on stage. It’s about hundreds of people working together to create an unforgettable adventure for the audience.
A Whole New Way to Watch
After seeing all the hard work that happens backstage, we watched the show with completely different eyes.
Every costume change, dragon flight, funny Farquaad moment, and green Shrek transformation felt even more magical because we knew how much effort went into making it happen.
A huge thank you to Jeremy Hinman, Scott Broome from Black Sixteen Agency, and Showcase Entertainment Group for giving StarCentral Kids this amazing opportunity.
One thing is for sure — we’ll never look at Shrek The Musical the same way again!