From sketch to stage: The making of Dragon in Shrek The Musical

Our wonderful Shrek The Musical creative team worked to bring the character of Dragon to life. Director, Cath Hannan, designed her dress with concept illustrations by Jessica Wilkins. Simon Turner, of studio7props, built the dragon puppet.

Cath tells us about the creative process and her inspiration;

When directing Shrek, I wanted to honour the magic of the original film while adding a personal touch to our stage version. One of the standout moments has always been the Dragon – fierce, powerful, and full of personality. While our set included a dragon element, we felt she deserved more; we wanted her to truly come alive and command the stage.

Thanks to our phenomenal props team and the incredible craftsmanship of Simon Turner, who designed and built her moveable wings, tail and head, we were able to take her from a static set piece to a living, breathing character.

In terms of costume, I wanted to stay close to the iconic colours of the animated Dragon, but also reflect the strength and femininity of the character. I had a vision of a bold, commanding presence that would mirror both the Dragon’s majestic energy and the elegance of a strong woman.

I found the perfect dress colour early on and knew a corseted bodice would give us the dramatic silhouette I imagined. From there, I played around with ideas, drew inspiration from online and landed on a final design that captures the spirit of both Becca and the Dragon beautifully

Join Shrek and his trusty sidekick Donkey as they set out on a quest to defeat the fearsome dragon and rescue the beautiful Princess Fiona.