Duck Pond

  • Circus
  • Dance
  • Acrobatics
  • Concert Hall
  • Run time - 70 minutes, no intervals

Feathers will fly in Circa’s exuberant take on Swan Lake

When Swan Lake meets The Ugly Duckling, feathers will fly.

Circa, Australia’s trailblazing contemporary circus company, takes ballet’s most beloved classic and flips it on its head. With soaring aerials, a sequinned duck army, burlesque black swans and a cheeky twist on the fairytale you thought you knew, Duck Pond is a high-octane fusion of beauty, comedy and jaw-dropping skill.

Quirky, beautiful and delightfully irreverent. This is Swan Lake, but not as you know it.

Circa transforms the world’s most romantic ballet into a thrilling circus spectacular filled with bold movement, irreverent humour and fresh contemporary energy.

Be swept away by this tale of swans and hapless princes, sparkling with quirky touches like a sequinned, flipper-wearing duck army and a burlesque Black Swan. Expect sumptuous aerials, jaw-dropping acrobatics, and of course, feathers! Touching, funny, and utterly entertaining, Duck Pond is a tale of identity and finding your true self.

The internationally acclaimed, award-winning contemporary circus company, Circa, pushes the limits of the art form, with jaw-dropping acrobatics that keep you spellbound and on the edge of your seats – this isn't your grandma’s Swan Lake.

Duck Pond is co-commissioned by QPAC and The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi, The Art House Wyong, Frankston Arts Centre, HOTA - Home of the Arts, Merrigong Theatre Company and Orange Civic Theatre.

Circa acknowledges the assistance of the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body and the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland. 

Circa is based in Meanjin (Brisbane) on the lands of the Jagera and Turrbal people. We respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the many lands on which we create and perform. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

Always was. Always will be.

Presented by Sydney Opera House and Circa

Event details

Thoroughly entertaining. This circus mash-up of Swan Lake and The Ugly Duckling is a seasonal treat.

Time Out

Messing with Swan Lake is a risky business. You wouldn’t want to do that unless you were a bit of a genius. It so happens Yaron Lifschitz is.

In Queensland

Graceful aerial solos. Jaw-dropping lifts. Superhuman balances. Swan Lake as you’ve never seen it before.

The Times

Synopsis

Prologue

Cupid appears in a flash.

Act 1: The palace, a dream

It is the night before the Prince’s birthday. Various friends, prospective partners and assorted revellers engage in acrobatically-infused merriments. A pillow mishap abruptly ends the party. In a brief encounter, the Prince meets the Ugly Duckling and, with the help of Cupid, they fall in love. Romantic duets follow.

Reality soon intrudes. It could never be that a humble duck and a magnificent prince could be together. The Duck Army comes to console the Ugly Duckling. She leaves somewhat cheerier.

The Black Swan enters dazzlingly. Her magnetic, spiky presence captivates the Prince. The ball that follows celebrates the impending union of Black Swan and Prince. Yet, despite the merriments, something is amiss.

Act 2: The Lake

A lake with swans. We marvel above and below the water. In despair, the Ugly Duckling decides to throw herself into the swans. Unexpectedly she flies! She is, in fact, a swan.

The Black Swan appears. She and the White Swan fall eternally in love. Duets of love follow. The Prince, confused and devastated, implodes as the two enamoured swans head into the sunset.

Act 3: The Theatre

We catch a glimpse of what swans are like in nature. It’s almost time to go home but as we pack up the theatre, true identities are revealed and real magic – the kind that does not depend on swans, tutus or spells – is rekindled.

About Circa

Circa is one of the world’s great performing arts companies. Since 2004, they have called Brisbane, Australia, home while touring the world, captivating audiences in over 45 countries and reaching more than two million people. 

Their award-winning performances have earned standing ovations, rave reviews and sold-out shows across six continents. Everything they do is fueled by their core values: quality, audacity, humanity. They are at the forefront of the new wave of contemporary Australian circus, redefining the art form by showcasing how extreme physicality can forge powerful and emotive experiences. 

Under the visionary leadership of Yaron Lifschitz, and in collaboration with their extraordinary ensemble of circus artists, they craft a diverse array of productions that constitute “a revolution in the spectacle of circus” (Les Echos).

They invite you to join them as they continue to “redraw the limits to which circus can aspire” (The Age).

Credits

Created by Yaron Lifschitz and the Circa ensemble.

Director, Stage Design 
Yaron Lifschitz 

Composer and Sound Designer 
Jethro Woodward

Costume Designer 
Libby McDonnell 

Lighting Designer 
Alexander Berlage

Associate Director 
Marty Evans

Dramaturg/Associate Choreographer 
Rani Luther 

Voice Over Artist 
Elise Greig 

Footage of brutal swan fight used with the kind permission of Carl Bovis.

Due to the nature of circus performance, the individuals in the Circa Ensemble are subject to change. A current and accurate list of acrobats involved in the performance will be available closer to the performance date.

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Attending this event

Plan your visit

Address

Sydney Opera House
Bennelong Point
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia

Getting to the venue

The Opera House is a 7-10 minute walk from Circular Quay, and is easily accessible by car, train, ferry, lightrail, bus, bike and on foot.

Location and access

Concert Hall

The Concert Hall is located beneath the largest of Sydney Opera House’s roof sails, filling the upper levels of the west side of the building. Best accessed through the covered concourse. All Sydney Opera House foyers are accessible, with lifts to the main and western foyers. The public lift to all foyers is accessible from the corridor near the escalators on the Lower Concourse and also in the Western Foyer via the corridor on the Ground Level (at the top of the escalators).

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