Review by Patrin (year 4)
The traditional tale of The Ugly Duckling has been brought to life by the Theatre Royal, York.
I loved it. My favourite character was Ugly.
The whole story was performed by a trio, playing all parts. The stage setup was brilliant, the changing of the seasons was overwhelmingly good. The play was very funny.
The musical score was classical and written by their own composer. I recommend it because it is surprising, look out for the unexpected plot twist!
Review by Anna (aged 7)
When I went to see “The Ugly Duckling” at York Theatre Royal I had a great time! My favourite part was the winter theme – it was magical, amazing and pretty. The actors used triangle shaped flags and waved them about in the air and loads of triangles fell out of them. It looked like it was snowing!
The play is based on the story of the ugly duckling. Its meaning is don’t judge someone just for the way that they look. I think that this is right and I’m glad that Emma wrote the play. All of the parts in the play were very clever. Fluffy was very funny, Mother Duck was very kind and Ugly was funny too!
If you are thinking of seeing this play, it is amazing and I hope you will like it.
Review by Beatrice
The performance took place at the theatre royal in York, not in the main part, but in a small studio with a stage in the middle. The cosiness of the place helped to create a warm atmosphere and, as we were close to the actors, I felt involved in the play (for example, as we walked into the room, a lady invited us to feel the egg). I felt really welcome.
Ugly Duckling was a story about the importance of family and the message was about accepting people with their differences without judging their appearance. In the play, Ugly left his family and set on an adventure to find who he was. On his way, he discovered a lot of mischievous animals. I loved the animal costumes, such as the fluffy jumpers, white swan blazers and pink and white scarves. I also liked the way Ugly travelled through four seasons and the décor and props changed every time especially when they waved different coloured paper around the room.
The live ukulele music was entertaining and I enjoyed the street dance routine. The flips were really impressive. Throughout the play, I laughed a lot as the actors pulled funny faces.
The story ending was a real cliff hanger, leaving me thinking what would happen next. I was worried that it was going to be quite babyish, but actually it was great for children aged from 3 right up to 10!