Duck Pond — Circa

Overview

For almost a century and a half — 146 years in 2023, to be exact — Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake has delighted ballet lovers. Premiering in 1877, it's one of the most famous works that's ever been performed on pointe shoes. A version has rarely been far from a stage somewhere, the music is as stunning and haunting as compositions get, and we wouldn't have Black Swan without it. Now, the classic gives rise to Duck Pond.

Here, Swan Lake gets the circus treatment, plus new tunes and haute-couture costumes. The folks to thank: Yaron Lifschitz and the Circa ensemble, who've reimagined the iconic ballet in quite the inventive way, including with sequinned flippers instead of the usual attire.

Pirouetting, waddling, leaping, all-around acrobatics: that's all part of this world-premiere show, which plays QPAC's Playhouse from Wednesday, July 5–Saturday, July 8.

Audiences can also look forward to duets, humour, surrealism, aerials and feathers, plus a tale about a film crew, a duck army and a burlesque black swan.

Libby McDonnell takes care of the outfits, Jethro Woodward reworks the tunes — while still nodding to Tchaikovsky, of course — and ten Circa performers will get quacking.