"The Ugly Duckling"

Nottingham Playhouse Neville Suite.

Everything about this Christmas show is aimed at youngsters from three years old and upwards; that's not to say that older kids - like myself - aren't going to enjoy the magical storytelling of this production, which only lasts for fifty minutes.

What I love about theatre made for children is just how clever and the thought process behind everything is. I'll explain........

Making theatre designed for children of a certain age means that everything that happens on stage has to be simple enough on stage that they will understand, and I don't mean that in a patronising way, because children are not daft; they know when they are being talked down to. It also has to be short in the sections and scenes because of a young person's attention span - I've been to theatre productions where adults have very short attention spans and fidget, look at their phones and chat during performances.

On both the above points, boxes are well and truly ticked and you could see even the youngest kids engaging, understanding, taking an active part and most of all being entertained.

Everyone knows the story of the Ugly Duckling who didn't fit in and wondered why, and who they were, until someone pointed out that the duckling was actually a beautiful swan. That may have been simple enough in story form, but that story is also so true for many people in the real world, so what was once a cute kids story has a deeper meaning.

In today's society there are so many people who feel that they are different to their family, their friends, their peers, their community, however wide you wish to stretch that social circle. They know that they different because they feel different and that they belong somewhere else. People sometimes treat them different, and some take them under their wing, if you'll pardon the pun. In the best scenarios, they discover their true self and finally get a feeling of belonging and comfort. Ok, now I've gone deep, let's get back to this wonderful children's show.

Two actors, Ethan Cooper and Maya Thompson play all the roles in this production.

Ethan plays "Ugly", in search of his true family, but this tale has a twist at the end, which I won't spoil for you. He has a face that smiles, even when he is not smiling, which isn't that often in this production. That said, his face is his passport to engaging with the younger audience, they trust him and they are ready to participate in this story. He has a lovely storytelling ability, both vocally and physically, and his chemistry with his co star is the glue that makes this production such a wonderful seasonal treat for any audience.

Maya plays all the other roles, Mama Duck, Gob (the sheep), Magpie (who takes a shine to Ugly, or that should be Ugly's shiny crown, Housecat (who also takes a more unhealthy shine to Ugly) and Swan (the coolest, hip swan you'll ever see, complete with shades and a costume any diva would be jealous of). Maya was also part of the "Hansel & Gretel" cast last year at the Playhouse in the Neville Studios.

Both actors sing without mics and you could hear every word of the very catchy songs peppered throughout this production. Once you've seen this show you will have great trouble getting "Rock With The Flock" out of your ears. Far catchier than anything you'll hear from The Wiggles!

It's written by Isabella Waldron and it has that lovely modern feel about the story; a story that I know I heard when I was not much older than the youngsters in the audience this afternoon, so that shows how old this story must be! It is really well scripted for a young mind to take in, artfully crafted to be entertaining as well as educational. 

Directed by Laura Ryder, and there are so many magical aspects of this production that I could touch on. There's puppetry involved and a real touch of magic as Gob makes a full pie disappear in front of your eyes, quite literally! I must have blinked at that moment because I didn't see where it went. The pacing was spot on and the story telling was likewise.

The set is designed by Alexandrea Hopkin-Spratt, and again this is another area where being clever is involved. Several of the props that you see on the stage area were multi faceted, crates that turn into fire places, flowerbeds that turn into crates, which turn into seating, background scenery that can be taken apart to create the image of another season, the appearance of the sun, as well as the moon and so many other little touches that bring the magic to the proceedings.

The music has been composed by Ben Glasstone, who is also the Musical Director for the show. The simple but clever lyrics have been written by Ben and Isabella Waldron. All the songs will get your toes tapping, and are catchy enough to have the young audience members wiggling to the tunes.

Sam Osborne is the Lighting Director, and also responsible for the video backdrop you see, encased into one of the scenery pieces. This is another clever idea, especially as the video shows the lyrics of the songs, making the show completely accessible for children who may have any kind of hearing disability. Every performance will contain creative captioning  to visually support the storytelling.

Matt Powell is the man behind the creative captions that we see in this show. Emily Howlett is the consultant for this area and the operator for the captions is Bradley Hunt.

The costumes are wonderful, very creative, and really appealed to the kids in the audience. They are thanks to Ella Barraclough.

The props play a large part in this production as well. One instance is when Ugly creeps into the house for a nap and is confronted by the sneaky House Cat. You immediately work out their intentions towards Ugly when the props appear, despite the lines that the cat feed to Ugly! Alex Hatton's work with the props is worthy of a mention as well.

I started off by saying just how much I love seeing theatre made for kids, and looking around this afternoon's audience, it seems that I am not the only one, because the Mums, Dads, Uncles, Aunties, Grannies, Grandads also looked to be getting just as much joy with this story as I was. 

This is a superb treat for your young family members, as well as the older section of your family. 

"The Ugly Duckling" is at the Nottingham Playhouse until Saturday 4 January and will be touring to schools and community venues in January 2025.