A cast of 85 young performers are preparing to bring a much-loved family favourite to audiences in south Essex this summer.
Southend Theatres' annual Summer Youth Project will present "Shrek the Musical" at the Palace Theatre in Westcliff, giving talented youngsters the chance to take part in a full-scale theatrical production.
Now in its 18th year, the project offers young people aged between nine and 19 the opportunity to work alongside a professional creative and production team while developing their performance skills.
More than 220 young people auditioned for this year's production, with 85 selected to take part.
Over 10 days during the summer holidays, participants will rehearse the show before performing five performances across four days in August.
The project also includes a youth technician programme, with 10 young people joining the professional backstage crew to gain practical experience in technical theatre and production.
Emma Wagstaff, creative learning manager at Southend Theatres, said: “The Summer Youth Project is always a highlight of the year and 2026 will be no exception.
“The standard of auditionees was higher than ever this year, and we are excited to see the end result of their hard work over the summer.
“The youth technicians too all impressed with their enthusiasm and commitment to the project. Bring on the swamp this summer.”
Based on the hit 2001 DreamWorks film and William Steig's book, Shrek the Musical follows the story of a solitary ogre whose quiet life is turned upside down when a host of fairy tale characters invade his swamp.
Along the way, he teams up with the loveable Donkey and embarks on an adventure to rescue Princess Fiona, discovering lessons about friendship, acceptance and being true to yourself.
Packed with humour, colourful characters and memorable songs, the musical has become a popular favourite with audiences around the world.
The Summer Youth Project production of Shrek the Musical will be performed at the Palace Theatre in Westcliff from August 6 to August 9.
Tickets are available now through the Southend Theatres website.
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