Comic to play Donkey in Shrek musical

Richard Blackwood is to play the Donkey in Shrek The Musical when it opens in the West End next year.

The comic will appear alongside Amanda Holden, playing Princess Fiona, at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane from May.

In playing Shrek’s annoying sidekick, Blackwood follows in the footsteps of fellow stand-up Eddie Murphy, who voiced the character in the original DreamWorks movies.

It is not Blackwood’s first West End role, as he recently performed in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the Novello Theatre alongside James Earl Jones.

Tikcets for the show go on sale on October 1, and it is initially booking until February 2010.

Shrek The Musical played on Broadway from December 2008 to January 2010 and was nominated for eight Tony Awards. A touring production opened in Chicago this week.

Published: 30 Jul 2010