HOLDEN & ARTS ASSOCIATES
SHARING STORIES AND CREATING PARTNERSHIPS SINCE 1983
UGLY DUCKLING
Produced by tutti frutti
From Leeds, England
About the Company
Resources
Meet the most unusual duckling the pond has ever seen! In their nest at the edge of a pond, the baby ducklings wait impatiently for Mummy’s enormous egg to hatch. But their new brother doesn’t look like everyone else. He doesn’t even quack like a proper duckling!
Teased and called Ugly by his siblings, our hero goes on an adventure in search of a place to fit in. As the seasons change the woodland trees from dark weathered branches to silver sticks of frost, the lost and lonely fledgling meets a menagerie of mischievous animals…. But where does he really belong?
tutti frutti brings to life Hans Christian Andersen’s well known tale with inventive physicality and live music that quacks and trills. This charming production plays with the importance of identity, self-worth and takes us on a journey to discover inner beauty.
Best for: Grades K-5th
Audience Size: Small, Medium, & Large Venues
Please contact us to watch a full length archival recording.
Curriculum Connections
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Fine Arts: Performance, Sound Design, Music and Composition, Dance
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Language Arts: Storytelling, Character, Adaptations, Creative Writing, Fairytales
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Emotional/Social Development: Self-Awareness, Empathy, Respect for Others, Perspective-taking, Relationship Skills, Social Engagement, Relationship-building, Courage, Acceptance
Outreach & Workshops
With advance notice, tutti frutti is able to offer drama based workshops in your venue for students or children. Please contact us if this is something you'd like to explore.
“Relaxed” or “Sensory Friendly” Performances
This performance is also available as a “sensory friendly” or “relaxed” performance if arranged with the company in advance and with specific direction as to what adjustments are necessary for your venue.
Minimum Tech Requirements
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Load in: 4 hours (assuming full pre-rig)
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Crew needs: 2 technicians for load-in, focus, sound establishment and load-out. 1 additional technician to operate radio mics
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Stage Requirements 20’ width x 20’ depth x 14’ height, no wing space required
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Load out time 1 hour
Artistic Team
"The Ugly Duckling is a wonderful piece of children’s theatre, slickly executed and lovingly performed. It will keep little ones enthralled from its energetic opening to its cheeky cliff-hanger conclusion." Arts York
"Tutti frutti has gained an excellent reputation for delighting families with their shows, and this tradition continues with Ugly Duckling." British Theatre Guide
"Delightful, beautifully detailed and really quite magical." Nottingham Mumsnet
“It isn’t how you look, it’s what you do,” is the mantra of Reeves’s play, and what you do in Ugly Duckling is find where you belong but also show appreciation for those who help you on that journey: one where you recognise the inner beauty in others, especially mothers with their unconditional love. No swanning off for Ugly!" York Press
"it was a brilliant performance that was pitched at the right level for young children, highly engaging and lots of fun!" - Audience Member, St Andrew's C of E Primary and Nursery School, Leeds
"Absolutely the best kids theatre I have seen to date in NZ or England! Ugly Duckling was gorgeous, especially loved the music, setting and lighting."– Audience member
"Beautiful performance with some excellent lighting and effects. My four year old was totally immersed and shyly enjoyed meeting Mrs Duck and the swans afterwards!" – Audience Member
"A delightful children's theatre company. We always enjoy the shows...looking forward to many more! "– Audience member.
Company Background
Past North American tours: The Boy Who Cried Wolf (23-24 & 26-27 season), Underneath a Magical Moon (18-19 & 25-26 seasons), Ugly Duckling (22-23 season), and Hare & Tortoise (25-26 season).
Tutti Frutti Productions has been creating imaginative, visual and meaningful story-based theatre for children for over 30 years. We specialize in bringing fantastic, distinctive and carefully crafted shows to children aged 3+ and their families and teachers across the UK and the world. We commission award-winning writers like Mike Kenny, Evan Placey and Emma Reeves to write new plays for children and adaptations of traditional stories. Over the years we have delivered high quality touring productions and built an excellent reputation for inventive, creative and highly physical productions for children aged 3+ and their families.
In 2013 we began making in-roads into international touring. We have toured several times to Hong Kong, Singapore and Ireland, performed Rapunzel at the Assitej World Congress in 2014 in Warsaw and Wild! at the IPAY Showcase in Madison, US in 2017. We were also juror selected to perform at the Assitej World Congress in Cape Town in 2017. In 2019 we completed our first USA tour with Underneath a Magical Moon by Mike Kenny and were delighted to undertake our second USA tour in 2023, with The Ugly Duckling by Emma Reeves. In 2023 over 25,000 children and families came to see Ugly Duckling and reems of audience members reached out online to let us know that they enjoyed the show. We toured The Boy Who Cried Wolf in 2024 and then retoured Underneath A Magical Moon in 2025 reaching audiences of 39,825 young people and families. The feedback was incredibly positive and joyous about our work and we look forward to many more tours to come.
‘I saw your show in Kerrville, Texas with my second grade class and I have never seen them laugh so hard, sit so still, and empathize so completely. An absolutely stunning play. My only complaint is that you weren’t around long enough for me to bring my own kids and family!! I couldn’t stop raving about it. Still can’t. Beautifully done. Absolutely remarkable. Best field trip of the year! Thank you!!!’- audience feedback, 2023
"The Tutti Frutti team has done it again! Thank you for such a magical week of performances at Des Moines. Rave reviews from our family and school audiences and such fun to experience the wonder you create." - Karoline Myers, Des Moines Performing Arts, 2025
For more information, please visit the company’s website.
Gallery of Past Productions
Photo by Brian Slater