Wireless Mics and Projection for Shrek The Musical
Show guide · Full-length · 7 leads plus a big fairytale chorus · Reviewed by Stage Gear staff, October 2026
Short answer: plan on 15 channels. 13 body mics for the leads, the young Fionas and the featured fairytale creatures, plus 2 spares. Cover the rest of the chorus with 3–4 area mics at the stage edge.
Stage Gear supplies wireless mics, rentals and projection to school and community theatres across the U.S. Our staff work in theatre; this guide is how we'd mic Shrek The Musical.
Licensing note: MTI marks this title "Restrictions may apply" and says applications may take longer than usual to process. Apply early and confirm your dates before you book rentals.
Who gets a mic
We counted the roles that sing solos or carry dialogue over music: Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, Lord Farquaad, the Dragon, Gingy's puppeteer, Pinocchio, Young Fiona and Teen Fiona (they share "I Know It's Today" with Fiona), and four fairytale creatures with featured lines in "Story of My Life" and "Freak Flag": the Big Bad Wolf, a lead Pig, the Ugly Duckling and the Wicked Witch. That is 13 body mics plus 2 spares, for 15 channels.
Borderline: the other creatures (Peter Pan, Mama Bear, Mad Hatter, Fairy Godmother and the rest) trade single lines in the big group numbers. Use the spares for whoever your director gives the most solo lines, and stage the rest downstage near the area mics. Young Shrek and the Captain of the Guard have short scenes that a spare covers. Gingy and Pinocchio are puppet roles; voice them live from the puppeteer's body mic, not a separate offstage channel. If your Dragon sings from the wings beside a puppet, a wired mic on a stand offstage is simpler than a body pack.
Bigger budget: add packs for the other two Pigs, Peter Pan, Mama Bear and the Captain of the Guard, for about 20 channels. Coordinate frequencies with us before you go past 16.
Mic plot
| Ch | Role | Mic | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel 1 | Shrek | Earset, beige | Ogre head and ears cover the hairline; run boom along cheek. |
| Channel 2 | Fiona | Hairline, brown | Wig hides it and survives her ogre transformation. |
| Channel 3 | Donkey | Headset, black | Nonstop movement; headset stays put under the ear hood. |
| Channel 4 | Lord Farquaad | Hairline, black | Pageboy wig hides it; kneeling costume needs a back pack. |
| Channel 5 | Dragon | Hairline, beige | Big solo; if sung from the wings, use a wired mic. |
| Channel 6 | Gingy (puppeteer) | Hairline, beige | Puppeteer voices Gingy live; mic the puppeteer, not the puppet. |
| Channel 7 | Pinocchio | Hairline, brown | Under the cap, clear of the growing-nose piece. |
| Channel 8 | Young Fiona | Hairline (3 mm), brown | Young performer with a wig; small mic, small head. |
| Channel 9 | Teen Fiona | Hairline, brown | Shares the trio with Fiona; under the wig line. |
| Channel 10 | Big Bad Wolf | Earset, beige | Wolf head piece covers the hairline; boom clears the snout. |
| Channel 11 | Pig (lead) | Earset, beige | Snout piece over the face; earset keeps the boom clear. |
| Channel 12 | Ugly Duckling | Hairline, beige | Featured lines in group numbers; mount under the duck hat. |
| Channel 13 | Wicked Witch | Hairline, black | Under the witch hat and wig; featured in Freak Flag. |
| Channel 14 | Spare | Hairline, beige | Covers single solo lines in Story of My Life and Freak Flag. |
| Channel 15 | Spare | Earset, beige | Backup for a failed pack or a sweaty earset in Act Two. |
Every Bodymic is wired for one transmitter family: Shure, Sennheiser, Audio-Technica, AKG, MiPro or Creative Audio. Build your Bodymics to match the packs you own. Cast Pack: every 4 Bodymics of the same style and capsule size earn a 5th free. This plot is a starting point; change any row to suit your cast.
The ensemble
Duloc performers, the angry mob, guards, knights and rats sing as groups. Cover them with 3–4 area or choir mics along the stage edge, and in "What's Up, Duloc?" and "Freak Flag" bring the big group verses downstage where the area mics can reach. When a fairytale creature without a pack gets a solo line, hand them a spare body mic for that scene rather than adding a channel.
Show notes from our team
- Ogre makeup and prosthetics. Fit Shrek's earset before the head and ears go on, and route the cable inside the costume. Test after full makeup at dress rehearsal; sweat and green makeup can loosen tape on the boom.
- Fiona's transformation. Fiona changes into her ogre look late in the show. Keep her hairline on her own wig cap so the change does not move the mic, and rehearse it with the pack on.
- Farquaad on his knees. Farquaad usually performs kneeling with false legs. Place his pack high on the back, not at the waist, so kneeling and shuffling do not knock the connector loose.
- The burp and fart duet. "I Think I Got You Beat" leans on comic sound effects. Decide early whether actors make them live or you fire them from playback, and rehearse the timing with both mics up.
Projection
The swamp, Duloc, the dragon's castle and Farquaad's wedding all suit projected scenery, and projection makes the journey scenes easy to move quickly. Most school auditoriums need 7,000–10,000 lumens with the right lens; smaller black boxes need less.
Our sister company Broadway Media makes Scenic Projections for Shrek The Musical. Not sure which projector? Read Stage Projectors for Digital Scenery.
Rent it for the run, or own it
| What you get | Next step | |
|---|---|---|
| Rent for the show | A 15-channel wireless rental, Monday to Monday around tech week. Tested before it ships, return labels in every case. | See rental systems |
| Own it | Creative Audio Show-Ready, 16 channels: receivers, bodypacks and antennas racked, programmed and tested. $ 11,190.38. | See the system |
| Mics for the packs you have | Bodymics for the whole cast: hairline from $79, earsets and headsets from $99. | Build your Bodymics |
Buying for a school? U.S. public schools can pay by purchase order. How school ordering works.
Common questions
- How many wireless mics does Shrek The Musical need?
- Plan on 15 channels: 13 body mics for Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, Farquaad, the Dragon, Gingy's puppeteer, Pinocchio, the young Fionas and four featured fairytale creatures, plus 2 spares. Cover the rest of the chorus with area mics.
- Do the fairytale creatures in Shrek need their own mics?
- Not all of them. Give packs to the creatures with the most solo lines and cover the rest with 3–4 area mics at the stage edge. Pass a spare to anyone with a single featured line in "Freak Flag".
- How do we mic Shrek under the ogre makeup?
- Use an earset. The ogre head and ears cover the hairline, so a hairline mic has nowhere to hide. Fit the earset before the prosthetics, tape the boom along the cheek, and check it again after full makeup.
- Can we rent mics just for our show week?
- Yes. Stage Gear rentals run Monday to Monday around tech week, so you have mics for rehearsals and every performance. Systems arrive tested with return labels, and school purchase orders are welcome.
Doing Shrek The Musical this year?
Get mic tips for your show and a reminder before rental season books up.
Stage Gear is not a show licensor. Shrek The Musical is licensed through Music Theatre International (MTI); production rights come from them. Stage Gear sells and rents the equipment. See you on stage!
