Beautiful 'Ugly Duckling'

What do you call a professional theater performance featuring several duck eggs, ducks, a dog, a cat, a rooster, a wolf, geese, and swans? It’s the Little Orange Castle Family Joy Art Theater’s adaptation of Andersen’s beloved fairytale “The Ugly Duckling.”

While there are countless interpretations of this classic tale, including numerous animated videos on YouTube, few stay true to the original story. This current production incorporates a good deal of creative interpretation while still including all the essential elements of the original. The dialogue is in Chinese, but for those of us familiar with the story, the acting and comedic timing made it enjoyable even for non-Chinese speakers like myself.

The role of the ugly duckling is brilliantly portrayed by a young Chinese actor, and the rest of the cast exhibited professional-level acting and dancing skills.

The story begins—naturally—with eggs. Guarded by Mother Duck, impatience sets in, prompting some duck friends to play drums in an attempt to speed up the hatching process. They even try to break open the eggs with a 1,000 kg hammer, so heavy that the ducks struggle to handle it. Their drumming, combined with a successful audience participation in clapping along, ultimately leads to the hatching of the two smaller eggs, while the larger one remains unhatched. With more drumming, out pops a duck that looks quite different from the others.

When Mother Duck presents fish for the siblings to eat, they refuse to share with their ugly brother. After experiencing rejection from both family and friends, the Ugly Duck decides to venture out on his own in search of companionship. He is turned away by other ducks and feels envious as he watches swans flying overhead. Eventually, he encounters a friendly duck, but this friendship is short-lived — literally — because when the elder duck takes flight, it is shot by hunters!

Next, Ugly Duck finds himself being chased by a dog dressed like a bandit. After an entertaining chase and tussle, the two become friends, sharing moments of dance and walking on stilts together. Just as they are enjoying each other’s company, the dog is called away by his master — an element not found in Andersen’s original story but certainly adds to the fun.

A thunderstorm erupts, and a large leaf serves as an umbrella. A cat and rooster invite Ugly Duck to their cottage, explaining that as long as he lays eggs, their master will happily take him in. The alternative? Joining them for dinner as the main course. Finding neither option appealing, Ugly Duck flees.

Still searching for a place to stay, he wanders into a forest, where he hides behind a tree and spots his mother and two siblings. Their reunion is interrupted by a wolf, prompting Ugly Duck to step out and distract the wolf from threatening his family. Just when it seems all hope is lost, the dog reappears, encouraged by the audience, and subdues the wolf with the 1,000 kg hammer. After chasing the wolf away, Ugly Duck introduces the dog to his family, and they quickly become friends.

The scene transitions to water, depicted by large blue sheets. In a magical moment, Ugly Duck appears in the water and transforms into a beautiful swan, performing a short ballet set to Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake.”

The “happily ever after” ending includes the entire ensemble, even the wolf, dancing and playing together. After their closing bows, the cast posed for pictures with the audience. From start to finish, the excitement was palpable.