Students from St Martins Lutheran College took centre stage last week as they performed Shrek the Musical at the Sir Robert Helpmann Theatre.

The students brought the much-loved story of Shrek to the stage, set in a mythical land full of fairytale creatures.

The musical tells the story of a hulking, grumpy and misunderstood ogre who prefers solitude in his swamp to the company of people.

When the vertically challenged Lord Farquaad threatens the tranquillity of his swamp, Shrek sets out to rescue Princess Fiona, in order to save the homes of many fairytale characters.

Exciting adventures occur on this rescue journey, including strange behaviour from the pretty princess, who is hiding a secret of her own.

In addition to the classic fairytale adventure is a journey of self-acceptance, tolerance for people who are different and recognising inner beauty.

Adelaide Theatre Director and now college drama teacher Andy Ahrens said St Martins has long held a reputation for producing high quality musicals, and audiences were not disappointed this year.

“Preparations for the musical have been ongoing since the beginning of the year,” he said.

“Students from the middle and senior schools were involved in the production and have been able to show their talents across a number of areas.

“As well as the on-stage cast, students also made up the majority of the orchestra.

“A large number of students have been involved in set construction, set painting, make up artistry and backstage roles, making the production a whole-school effort.”

Mr Ahrens said the students excelled at creating the production.

“It’s a pleasure to be working with such a wonderful cast,” he said.

“They are very funny and sang the songs with great gusto, including the hit song, ‘I’m a Believer.’ Behind the scenes, the artistic team were also hard at work.

“The show was bigger, brighter and more beautiful than ever.”

Mr Ahrens said there were a number of challenges the cast and crew had to deal with throughout the year, most notably the ever-changing COVID-19 restrictions, which delayed rehearsals and placed restrictions on the audience capacity.

“However, in true theatre style, the show must go on and all involved showed incredible resilience and dedication to ensure the performance went ahead as scheduled,” he said.

2021 Senior College Captain Rachael Bird played the role of ‘Dragon’ in the musical.

“It’s been a great experience working with a group of such hardworking people,” she said.

“Even through all the challenges we have had, the show could not have come together better.”