As far as fairytale stories go, Kimberley Walsh's debut performance in Shrek: The Musical ended up being every bit as magical and enchanting as the story of everyone's favourite ogre itself.
Just as Nicola Robert's brilliant solo album feels like the project she had been building up to for all her life, so too does the role of Princess Fiona feel like it was custom-made for Kimberley to play. Longtime fans of Girls Aloud will remember Kimberley's dabblings in acting as part of her Passions episode and her recent role in the Horrid Henry movie. It is here though that she steps into her first major role.
For those that have seen the first Shrek movie (who hasn't?!), the plot of the musical version remains pretty faithful, though obviously interspersed with all manner of fantastic showtunes. If you're in search of a feel-good night out packed with fun-factor, then this is it.
Kimberley's Fiona is the perfect counterpart to the rough, Scottish charms of Shrek. Tapping in to a feisty bossy-madam attitude, she's the heroine with real staying power - an apt fit for the empowered pop princess Kimberley represents as part of Girls Aloud.
With brilliantly funny supporting roles - Donkey, Farquaad and the Dragon (courtesy of some incredible stagecraft), Shrek: The Musical is just as much a laugh-a-minute comedy as it is a tour-de-force of fun tunes. And it is in these two qualities that Kimberley proves her worth to the show. Not only is she a strong singer - with a voice that has always seemed perfect for the enunciation needed for theatre - but she clearly has a knack for comic timing, delivering her lines as if she's been playing the role for years.
Resolutely the professional, Kimberley also impresses with her grasp of Fiona's American accent, though I was pleased to hear Kimberley's own rounded Yorkshire tones seeping through from time to time. The Shrek Musical, in so many aspects, feels like a far more chunky, down-to-earth production than the slick CGI films.
Best of all, placed here, in the heart of London, the performance feels definitively British in its quaintness. A fairytale story to encompass all others, it seems to tap into a sense of tradition and communal enjoyment. By the time the rousing finale of I'm A Believer rolled round, the entire audience was up on their feet singer and cheering along - surely the greatest sign of a job well done by all involved.
And maybe it was the fact Cheryl Cole and Nicola Roberts were also in attendance, but the sheer buzz surrounding the theatre that night felt like it could have been one of Girls Aloud's own concerts. Kimberley, going it alone has made her mark, and the public love her.
For more information on Shrek - The Musical and to book tickets, visit the official site: http://www.shrekthemusical.co.uk/
