'Shrek The Musical' heading to London

LONDON, July 2 (UPI) -- "Shrek The Musical" is booked to open in London's West End next spring, the stage show's producers announced Friday.

DreamWorks Theatricals and Neal Street Productions said the musical will play at London's Theatre Royal on Drury Lane, starting in May 2011.

The show is based on the story and characters from William Steig's book "Shrek!" and the Oscar-winning DreamWorks Animation feature film "Shrek," the first chapter in the series of irreverent fairy tales about how a swamp-dwelling ogre becomes a hero and finds love and friendship.

Casting, performance dates and box-office details are to be announced soon, the producers said.

"Shrek The Musical" played on Broadway from December 2008 to January 2010, and was nominated for eight Tony Awards.

The original creative team has now re-assembled to stage the production with new songs and additional scenes. Now in rehearsal, this production will tour 60 cities in the United States beginning later this month. The U.K. production is scheduled to start rehearsals in London in early 2011.