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The principal casting has been announced for Shrek The Musical, which will be taking to the stage of Blackpool’s Winter Gardens over Christmas.

Shrek will be played by Antony Lawrence, Joanne Clifton is Fiona, James Gillan will play Lord Faqaad and Brandon Lee Sears Donkey in the new touring production directed and choreographed by Nick Winston and co-directed by Sam Holmes, which opens in Plymouth on July 21 and tours around the country until April next year.

Anthony Lawrence recently played Scar in The Lion King international tour as well as performing in the Mary Poppins national tour, Matilda the Musical RSC production in the West End and on the international arena tour of We Will Rock You.

Joanne Clifton is best known for her time on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, on which she featured after being crowned World Professional Showdance Champion and also winning the European Professional Ballroom Championship,

Shrek the Musical is heading to the Winter Gardens, Blackpool

During her time as a Strictly professional, she won the Christmas special with McFly’s Harry Judd and went on to win the glitterball trophy as 2016 champion with Ore Oduba.

READ MORE: On stage, Joanne was most recently seen in Windfall at the Southwark Playhouse and on the UK tour of The Addams Family.

Olivier Award-nominee James Gillan most recently created the role of Tray in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at London’s Apollo Theatre and also performed in that show at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles for its six-week run.

Brandon Lee Sears played Jimmy Early in the UK tour of Dreamgirls, while previous theatre credits include the original West End productions of Come From Away, Heathers, Motown the Musical and On the Town.

Antony Law will play Shrek in the touring production

On Monday, February 27, the cast of Shrek the Musical will perform at BBC Big Night of the Musicals at Manchester’s AO Arena, with the programme to feature in a special 90-minute presentation on BBC One and on BBC Radio 2.

Shrek The Musical comes from the producers of Hairspray and Priscilla Queen of the Desert, and re-images the award-winning Broadway and West End hit show for a new audience, featuring all the classic characters from the Oscar-winning DreamWorks animated film and the iconic songs and story from David Lindsay-Abaire and Jeanine Tesori’s original musical.

The Blackpool run will be from December 12 to 30. See www.wintergardensblackpool.co.uk

Strictly's Joanne Clifton among cast of Shrek The Musical coming to Blackpool's Winter Gardens