Duck Pond
9 – 12 January 2026
In the Concert Hall
Circus
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.
| Date | Time |
| Friday 9 January 2026 | 7:00pm |
| Saturday 10 January 2026 | 3:00pm |
| Saturday 10 January 2026 | 7:00pm |
| Sunday 11 January 2026 | 3:00pm |
| Sunday 11 January 2026 | 7:00pm |
| Monday 12 January 2026 | 3:00pm |
| Standard | Price |
| Premium | $119.90 |
| A Reserve | $109.90 |
| B Reserve | $79.00 |
| Full Time Australian Student | Price |
| Premium | $110.90 |
| A Reserve | $99.90 |
| B Reserve | n/a |
| Australian Pensioner | Price |
| Premium | $110.90 |
| A Reserve | $99.90 |
| B Reserve | n/a |
$8.95 booking fee applies per transaction
Prices correct at the time of publication and subject to change without notice. Exact prices will be displayed with seat selection.
The only authorised ticket agency for this event is Sydney Opera House. For more information about Authorised Agencies, see the frequently asked questions below.
Sydney Opera House Insiders pre-sale
9am, Tuesday 1 July 2025
Become a Sydney Opera House Insider to receive exclusive pre-sale access
What’s On e-newsletter pre-sale
9am, Wednesday 2 July 2025
General Public tickets on-sale
9am, Friday 4 July 2025
Wheelchair accessible:
There are a number of wheelchair and companion seating locations in our theatres. To book accessible seating contact Box Office:
Telephone
+61 2 9250 7777
(Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm AEST)
Email bookings@sydneyoperahouse.com
Find out more about accessibility at Sydney Opera House.
Content
Performance may contain strobe lighting, smoke machines and may be filmed.
Run time
This performance runs for approximately 75 minutes, without interval. Event duration is a guide only and may be subject to change.
Age
This performance is suitable for audiences of all ages with parental discretion. Includes some adult themes. Children aged 15 years and under must be accompanied at all times.
The Sydney Opera House is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children who visit or engage with us. Read our Child Safety Policy.
Useful information:
Feathers will fly in Circa’s exuberant take on Swan Lake
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.
Presented by Sydney Opera House and Circa
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.
Time OutThoroughly entertaining. This circus mash-up of Swan Lake and The Ugly Duckling is a seasonal treat.
In QueenslandMessing 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.
The TimesGraceful aerial solos. Jaw-dropping lifts. Superhuman balances. Swan Lake as you’ve never seen it before.
Gallery
of
Image credit: Pia Johnson
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).
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.
Plan your visit
Venue information
Our foyers will be open 90 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and two hours pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Refreshments will be available for purchase from our theatre bars.
All Sydney Opera House foyers are pram 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). Pram parking will be available outside the theatres in the Western Foyer.
Getting here
The Sydney Opera House Car Park, operated by Wilson Parking, is open and available to use. Wilson Parking offer discounted parking if you book ahead. Please see the Wilson Parking website for details.
Please check the Transport NSW website for the latest advice and information on travel. You can catch public transport (bus, train, ferry) to Circular Quay and enjoy a six minute walk to the Opera House.
Frequently asked questions
Ticket purchases and collection at our Box Office is discouraged and eTicket or postal delivery methods should be used, wherever possible. However, if you are collecting your tickets from the Box Office, we recommend doing this at least 60 minutes before the event starts. If you have already received your tickets, the venue doors will be open 45 minutes pre-show for Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and 30 minutes pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Please take your seats as soon as you arrive.
If you are late, we will seat you as soon as we can and, where possible, in your allocated seat. However, to reduce movement in the venue as well as minimise disruption to the performance and other patrons, ticketholders may be seated in an allocated latecomer’s seat. Please be aware that some events have lock-out periods. In these cases, latecomers will be admitted at a suitable break in the performance. On occasions, this may not be until the interval, or at all where there is no interval.
Details of our right to refuse admission can be found in our General Terms and Conditions for Tickets and Events.
In accordance with our venue security procedures, Opera House security will be scanning and checking bags under the Monumental Stairs, prior to entering the building. Bags will be scanned by an x-ray machine, and staff will wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when handling your belongings, such as gloves. Cloaking facilities will be open 60 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and 60 minutes pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. However it is strongly encouraged that you travel lightly to minimise contact and queuing. Any bags larger than an A4 piece of paper will need to be checked into the Cloak Room.
The authorised agency for this event is the Sydney Opera House.
Only tickets purchased by authorised agencies should be considered reliable. If you purchase tickets from a non-authorised agency such as Ticketmaster Resale, Viagogo, Ticketbis, eBay, Gumtree, Tickets Australia or any other unauthorised seller, you risk that these tickets are fake, void or have previously been cancelled. Resale restriction applies. For more details, please refer to our General Terms and Conditions for Tickets and Attendance at Events.
Please contact Box Office on +61 2 9250 7777 as soon as possible to advise if you can no longer attend.
Foyers will be open 90 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and two hours pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Refreshments will be available for purchase from our theatre bars.
The venue doors will be open 45 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and 30 minutes pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances.
Please bring a credit or debit card for any on site purchases to enable contactless payment. You’re welcome to bring your own water bottle but no other food and drinks are permitted inside our venues.
The health, safety and wellbeing of everyone at the Sydney Opera House is our top priority. In line with this commitment, the Opera House became a smoke-free site in January 2022. Read our Smoke-free Environment Policy.
You may also like
The 39 Steps
8 – 30 Aug 2025
The 39 Steps is Hitchcock’s classic spy thriller meets Monty Python madness, now reimagined for a brand-new Australian tour. Directed by Damien Ryan and starring Lisa McCune, Ian Stenlake and The Umbilical Brothers (David Collins and Shane Dundas) it’s a fast, funny, unmissable night of theatre.
Jackson Aces - Beyond Possible
30 Jul – 3 Aug 2025
Experience the unimaginable with Jackson Aces at Beyond Possible. Enjoy a stunning blend of mind-bending modern illusions, sleight-of-hand mastery and captivating storytelling, blurring the lines between reality and the impossible.
Mario the Maker Magician
2 – 12 Oct 2025
All Ages | Robots and magic and slapstick… oh my! Contagiously upbeat and full of heart, the ever-endearing Mario leads you through a romping explosion of energy and belly laughs punctuated with moments of heart and emotion that will catch you by surprise.
