"Shrek" will be adapted into a musical in Paris in 2026

Following the success of "Madagascar" at the Théâtre du Gymnase, director Philippe Hersen has announced the adaptation of "Shrek" in October 2026 at the Folies Bergère. That's 25 years after the film's theatrical release. "The show will be very dance-oriented and disco-funk. It will be a big show, on the level of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ," assures Philippe Hersen, who adapted all three shows for the stage.

For "Shrek," he's planning special effects that will transform Fiona, the presence of an enormous 3-meter-tall dragon, and child actors who will play the little pigs, Gingerbread Man, and Puss in Boots. Casting will be launched next October, a year before the start of approximately fifty performances. Philippe Hersen will select between 15 and 20 artists.

"Shrek" — from DreamWorks Studios, like "Madagascar" — won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2002. Alain Chabat voiced the green ogre in the French version. The musical will likely be boosted by the theatrical release of "Shrek 5" in December 2026. Philippe Hersen is working on a new version of a show that was a hit on Broadway between 2008 and 2010 and played at the Casino de Paris, with Michel Lerousseau in the role of the ogre and Nathalie Lermitte as Princess Fiona.

As for the musical "Madagascar," it is returning from an overseas tour after selling out the Théâtre du Gymnase for around fifty dates. The show will run in the same large venue from October 18, 2025, to the end of March 2026. Philippe Hersen will then be able to devote himself 100% to the adventures of Shrek and Fiona.