Further casting to be announced.
As Shrek
Training: Guildford School of Acting.
Theatre includes: Scar in The Lion King (International Tour); Park Keeper / Von Hussler and understudied and played Mr Banks in Mary Poppins (National Tour); Escapologist and understudied and played Miss Trunchbull and Mr Wormwood in Matilda the Musical (Cambridge Theatre/RSC), u/s Khashoggi and Rebel Leader in We Will Rock You (International Arena Tour), u/s Pontius Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar (National Arena Tour), Simon Stride in Jekyll and Hyde (Union Theatre).
Workshops include: Cecco/Tootles in Peter Pan (Lyric Theatre).
Concerts include: My Fair Lady (BBC Proms/Royal Albert Hall).
As Princess Fiona
Training: Team Diablo Academy, Bologna, Italy.
Theatre credits include: Jacqueline in Windfall (Southwark Playhouse); Morticia Addams in The Addams Family UK Tour (Aria Entertainment and Music & Lyrics Ltd); Berthe/Fastrada in Pippin (Lambco Productions); Janet in the No. 1 UK Tour of The Rocky Horror Show (Trafalgar Entertainment); Alex Owens in the No. 1 UK Tour of Flashdance (Selladoor Worldwide); Dale Tremont in Top Hat (Gatehouse Theatre); Millie Dillmount in the No. 1 UK Tour of Thoroughly Modern Millie (Spirit Productions); Marilyn Monroe in The Norma Jeane Musical (Stockwell Playhouse); Streetwalker (Offie-nominee) in Irving Berlin’s Face the Music; Ensemble in Burn the Floor – Reunion Tour (UK Tour); Professional dancer in Strictly Live Tour (UK Tour); Ensemble in Burn the Floor (Japan/Australian Tour); Featured act I Can’t Dance, Mane Chance Charity Gala (Theatre Royal Windsor).
Television credits include: Professional dancer and 2016 Champion in Strictly Come Dancing (BBC1); Professional dancer and 2015 Champion in Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special (BBC1); Expert presenter on It Takes Two (BBC2).
Radio credits include: Friday Night is Music Night (Hackney Empire, 2018).
Awards include: 2015 Offie Nominee for Best Supporting Actress; World Professional Showdance Champion; European Professional Ballroom Champion.
As Lord Farquaad
James was nominated for Best Supporting Performance in a Musical at the 1997 Lawrence Olivier Awards. This was for his West End debut in The Who’s Tommy at the Shaftesbury Theatre.
Most recently, he created the role of Tray in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at the Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue – a role he stayed with through the show’s entire West End run. He also had the great pleasure of taking ETAJ all the way to the states, performing at the Ahmanson Theatre in LA for its 6-week run.
Other theatre credits include: Lady Puck in The Donkey show (Proud Camden), Mr Tumnus in The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (The Rose theatre Kingston), Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors (Aberystwyth Arts centre), Colin in the Secret Garden (West Yorkshire Playhouse and Birmingham Rep), the title role in Stiles & Drewe’s Peter Pan (at both The Royal Festival Hall and The West Yorkshire playhouse), the original Boq in the West End production of Wicked (The Victoria Apollo Theatre), John Hinkley in Assassins (The Crucible Sheffield), Rusty in Starlight Express not only at The Apollo Victoria, but also re-created the role for its original UK tour, Marilyn in Boy George’s Taboo (UK tour), Nick in Fame (Swedish arena tour), James in Godspell (Chichester festival theatre), part of The Shakespeare’s Globe 1999 season under the direction of Mark Rylance playing Iras in Antony and Cleopatra and Lucius in Julius Caesar, the title role in Pippin (the Bridewell theatre), Benjamin in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (UK tour) and James in James and the Giant Peach (UK tour).
On TV, James has appeared in Doctors (BBC), ‘Orrible (BBC), Casualty (BBC), The Seven Industrial Wonders of the World (BBC), The Inbetweeners (Channel 4), The C Word (BBC), Suspects (Channel 5), A Tale of Two Cities (PBS) and The Late Late show (CBS).
Concerts include: Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 50th and Stephen Sondheim’s 80th, both at The Royal Albert Hall.
Recordings include: Peter Pan, A Tale of Two Cities (International cast recording), Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, and the soundtrack to the movie Easy Virtue.
As Donkey
Brandon Lee most recently played the role of Jimmy Early in Dreamgirls (UK tour). His previous theatre credits include the original West End productions of Be More Chill (Shaftesbury); Come From Away (Phoenix); Heathers (Theatre Royal Haymarket); Motown the Musical (Shaftesbury); and On the Town (Regents Park).
Television and Film includes: Artemis Fowl and Cinderella (Disney); Marriage of Reason and Squalor (Sky Arts); Greta (Metropolitan Films).
Other credits include: Dirty Dancing (UK tour); My Fair Lady; Guys and Dolls; Hamlet; King Lear; Much Ado About Nothing; Meet Me in St Louis; Othello (New Harmony Theatre) and productions with Milwaukee Ballet, Nashville Ballet and Ballet Soul.