The Ugly Duckling – the classic tale about a little duck who is the odd one out – shares a message that crosses time and cultures. Now, families in Singapore can see this story brought to life in Mandarin
It’s a tale we all know, and is loved around the world: Hans Christian Andersen’s The Ugly Duckling. And from July 10, Singapore Repertory Theatre’s The Little Company, renowned for its brilliant stage productions for kids including The Three Billy Goat’s Gruff and Rapunzel, is once again bringing its popular interpretation of The Ugly Duckling to life at DBS Arts Centre – this time, in Mandarin.
It’s hard to imagine a childhood filled with storytelling, fairy tales and fables without The Ugly Duckling. A seemingly simple tale about a duckling who is the odd one out, it’s a story that has endured time, crossed cultural boundaries and resonates with all ages because of its universal message of acceptance.
As Danny Yeo, the Director and Chinese Adaptor of the show, says: “This musical allows us to realise our inner beauty, respect differences, and recognise that each person is unique. That’s definitely relevant and important in all languages.”
Told through song and puppetry, performing the show in Mandarin brings an additional element of rhyme and rhythm as well as word play. HoneyKids caught up with Isabella Chiam, who plays the Narrator in this show, to get a sneak peek of what to expect when this classic story comes to life on stage:
Can you prepare us with some lingo to look out for: What is the Chinese for duck, swan, egg, quack quack?
鸭 (Yā) = Duck
天鹅 (Tīan É) = Swan
蛋 (Dàn) = Egg
嘎嘎 (Gāgā) = Quack Quack in Chinese
丑小鸭(Chóu xiǎo yā ) is the Chinese title for The Ugly Duckling.
丑 means ugly; 小鸭 is duckling (literally, small duck).
Who are the main characters, and where is the story set?
The story is set in a land called Once Upon A Time. We will begin with the Narrator who introduces the Ugly Little Duckling, together with Mama Duck the rest of the family. You can expect to see other cute characters like Old Yellow Dog, and even pay a visit to MacDonald’s farm!
SRT productions for children always include a musical element. Can we expect to see a dancing duck or Swan Lake?
You will definitely get to experience some wonderfully written music by Darren Ng, and fun choreography, but this time with very cute and beautiful puppets too!
The Ugly Duckling was intended to resonate with adults when it was written, not just children. What can parents expect to get from this version?
Parents can expect the whole family to be thoroughly entertained, from the beautiful visuals to the funny script. Not to mention, the kids will be strongly encouraged to interact in Mandarin. More importantly, 丑小鸭, is a wonderful story about not judging a person by his or her appearance. The whole family will enjoy a positive learning experience at The Ugly Duckling.
What’s your favourite part of the production?
The puppets and their puppeteers! A lot of hard work goes into articulating the many different puppets and it’s almost magic to watch them come alive!
The Ugly Duckling in Mandarin, presented by SRT’s The Little Company, will run from 10 July to 1 August at DBS Arts Centre. Tickets available through SISTIC.
WHEN:
Mon – Fri : 10am
Fri(17 Jul): 11am & 2pm
Sat: 11am & 2pm
TICKET PRICING:
(Excludes booking fee)
Tuesday to Friday
Standard: S$25, S$22
*Family Package of 4: S$85 for Cat 1 tickets
*Family Package of 4 (with TLC CD Vol.2): S$97 for Cat 1 tickets
Weekends
Standard: S$35, S$32
*Family Package of 4: S$119 for Cat 1 tickets
*Family Package of 4 (with TLC CD Vol.2): S$131 for Cat 1 tickets
This post is sponsored by Singapore Repertory Theatre.