Gliding mischievously onto the stage of Melbourne’s Princess Theatre, Circa’s Duck Pond is a triumph of wit, virtuosity and sheer theatrical pleasure.
Directed by Circa’s Artistic Director Yaron Lifschitz, this highly inventive work takes the sacred cow of Swan Lake, splices it with Hans Christian Andersen’s The Ugly Duckling, and gleefully sends the whole thing tumbling headlong into Circa’s world of high-octane contemporary circus, burlesque irreverence and exquisitely judged clowning.
From its opening moments, Duck Pond makes its intention clear. Familiar tropes are skewered, reassembled and reimagined, as Tchaikovsky’s iconic score is teased, distorted and flirted with rather than reverently reproduced. Jethro Woodward’s sound design is particularly delicious, peppered with tantalising references that drift in and out of recognition.
The narrative centres on a quartet of principal characters, Cupid, The Ugly Duckling, Prince and Black Swan, but the true heartbeat of the show is the astonishing Circa ensemble.
Costumed initially in Libby McDonald’s elegant black velvet bodysuits (later transformed into equally striking white), the performers move with precision and mischievous charm. McDonald’s designs cleverly nod to classical aesthetics, while remaining resolutely modern and fluid, allowing the performers’ athleticism to shine.
The stage itself is framed by vertical strips that enable seamless, unobstructed entrances and exits, creating a sense of constant motion and surprise. Andrew Berlage’s lighting ensures every breathtaking detail is visible, sculpting the space so that even the most complex gymnastic feats are viewed with luminous precision.
And what feats they are. The acrobatics are nothing short of spectacular: heart-stopping throws, three-person high towers and inventive sequences on silks, cyr wheels and hula hoops elicit much joy from the audience. Yet for all the technical brilliance, Duck Pond never loses its sense of play.
An exuberant pillow fight erupts in a blizzard of flying feathers, while one of the evening’s standout moments riffs on the famous Dance of the Cygnets. Here, the swans are replaced by ducklings in yellow oversized clown pants, wielding red mops, a visual gag that is as smart, as it is delightfully funny.
And just when you think Duck Pond has come to an end, Lifschitz upends it all with a surprisingly subversive finale (no spoilers here). An then to the audible delight of the audience, the Circa ensemble gleefully proceeds to deconstruct the set itself, collapsing the theatrical illusion in a final act of playful rebellion.
Whimsical, daring and executed with extraordinary skill, Circa’s Duck Pond is an unmissable delight.
Duck Pond
Princess Theatre, Spring Street, Melbourne
Performance: Thursday 15 January 2026
Season continues to 25 January 2026
Bookings: www.ticketek.com
Duck Pond will also be presented at HOTA, Gold Coast, from 6 – 7 March 2026. For more information, visit: www.circa.org.au for details.
Images: Circa presents Duck Pond – photos by Daniel Boud
Review: Rohan Shearn