Circa fly into the Concert Hall with Duck Pond

Sydney — Tuesday 1 July 2025

Homegrown heroes of contemporary circus Circa will fly into the Concert Hall this summer, with a strictly limited season of acclaimed production Duck Pond from 9 – 12 January 2026. Defying convention and genre, this inventive take on Swan Lake and The Ugly Duckling reinterprets both beloved tales as a spectacle of circus.

Set to enthral lovers of ballet, fairy tales and circus alike with an undeniably entertaining story about finding your true self, Duck Pond features Circa’s signature physicality and jaw-dropping acrobatics, laced with cheeky humour. Feats of strength and bravery are impeccably balanced with fluid moments of artistry and grace, a true showcase of the diverse skills that have earned Circa its ingenious reputation.

Reaching more than two million people in over 45 countries across six continents, the Australian company have forged a path as elite and emotive performers, redefining expectations of circus as an artform. The company is led by the visionary Yaron Lifschitz, named by the International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) as the recipient of its 2025 Distinguished Artist Award and joining the company of Leonard Bernstein, Joan Sutherland and Uncle Jack Charles.

Speaking about the work, Lifschitz said: “Duck Pond is truly iconoclastic – it has sophistication, beauty, humour, silliness, a classic good vs evil storyline, everything you want to see in an enchanting live show. It also has a stunning array of awe-inspiring acrobatic languages for audiences to sink their teeth into, showcasing the best of this brilliant creative ensemble.”

Sydney Opera House Head of Contemporary Performance, Ebony Bott says: “Duck Pond perfectly encapsulates the programming we love to present – a contemporary twist on a classic everyone knows and loves. We couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Circa to the Concert Hall and send some feathers flying!”

The Sydney Opera House season follows a sold out season at Royal Festival Hall in London and is part of an extensive regional tour for Duck Pond, which includes 17 centres across Australia.

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.