18 September 2025. The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre
Circa’s latest production, Duck Pond, is advertised as a reimagining of the ballet Swan Lake, a reimagining of that longstanding, much-loved ballet as a circus spectacular. Other moments in the narrative, we are told, make reference to the work of Hans Christian Andersen, in particular The Ugly Duckling.
The narrative follows the activities of a Prince who meets the Ugly Duckling and briefly falls in love, but then out of love, with this character. There is a pillow fight in which feathers fall from the pillows and cover the floor. They are swept up by a ‘duck army’. The Black Swan appears and the Prince falls for her. But when the duckling turns into a swan and begins to fly, the Black Swan and the new White Swan fall in love with each other.
The production ended in real time as the performers began clearing the stage. They rolled up the tarkett flooring, removed their costumes down to flesh-coloured underwear and performed some circus tricks with a Cyr wheel and with hoops. They then began taking various poses while inside movable box-like structures.
The connections with Swan Lake, and even the stories of Andersen, were far from the strongest aspect of the show. The real highlight of Duck Pond was the acrobatic feats of the artists of Circa. It was a treat to watch the flexibility of the artists and their ability to put themselves and their bodies in positions at which we non-acrobats can only gasp. I was impressed too with the acting ability of every performer, whether it was the expressions of love between some of the characters or the humorous activities of the ‘duck army’ sweeping up the feathers that got scattered over the stage floor after the pillow fight. Even the so-called burlesque activities of the performers at the end of the show, as they pushed themselves forward in a sexual manner, were impressive, if somewhat surprising.
But I wonder why Swan Lake was taken up by the director Yaron Lifschitz as the apparent focus of the show? The narrative wandered all over the place and was very inconsistent in its references. It made Swan Lake seem like some crazy old story. In my opinion it would have been preferable had Circa made up its own story rather than trying to mess with Swan Lake and other bits and pieces. I have always enjoyed Circa’s productions in the past, but Duck Pond was just a mash-up and turned me in another direction.
Michelle Potter, 20 September 2025
Featured image: Before the performance began the front curtain was lit with the image of a white feather. Photo: Michelle Potter
The handout (program?) that the audience received was far from satisfactory. It was nothing more than a brief synopsis of the action. The information below dealing with costumes, lighting, sound score, cast and so forth was uplifted from elsewhere.
Cast & Creatives
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.
CAST:
Oliver Layher, Tristan St John, Jordan Twartz, Harley Timmermans, Adam Strom, Darby Sullivan, Asha Colless, Anais Stewart, Clara Scudder-Davis, Maya Davies, Sophie Seccombe, Rose Symons
I was a guest of Canberra Theatre Centre at this performance.
