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Duck Pond

Feathers will fly in Circa’s exuberant take on Swan Lake.

The world’s most romantic ballet is reimagined as an acrobatic spectacular, full of Circa’s signature physicality and shot through with cheeky humour, enchanting duets and colourful surrealism.

You’ll meet a clumsy film crew, a sequinned flipper wearing duck army and a burlesque black swan. There’ll be sumptuous aerials, dynamic cyr wheel and of course feathers! Touching, funny and completely entertaining, Duck Pond is a tale of identity and finding your true self.

Created by circus visionary Yaron Lifschitz (“the Caravaggio of contemporary circus”) with ten members of the globally renowned Circa ensemble, this will be one of Circa’s most ambitious works yet with haute couture costumes courtesy of Libby McDonnell, music by Jethro Woodward (with hints of Tchaikovsky) and lighting from Alexander Berlage.

The thrilling physicality of Humans 2.0 and the playful comedy of Carnival of the Animals combine to make Duck Pond a must-see circus epic.

Image by Damien Bredberg.

About

World premiere Brisbane, Australia – July 2023
Performers 10
Duration 70 minutes

REVIEWS

“Messing with Swan Lake is a risky business. You wouldn’t want to do that unless you were a bit of a genius. It so happens Yaron Lifschitz is” – In Queensland//View

“Boldly dramatic in its chaos and also charmingly magical in its whimsy” – Blue Curtains Brisbane//View

★★★★ “Daring and a desire to go beyond…is what keeps Circa on the cutting edge” – Limelight//View

“Hugely entertaining and impressive” – Limelight//View

“Truly talented group of energetic performers with world-class balancing and stage craft skills that astound and amaze” – Stage Whispers//View

★★★★ ½ “Duck Pond may just be one of the most exhilarating and thought-provoking shows you will see this year” – Arts Hub//View

Acknowledgements

Created by Yaron Lifschitz with the Circa Ensemble

Duck Pond is co-commissioned by QPAC and The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi; The Art House Wyong; Frankston Arts Centre; HOTA – Home of the Arts; Merrigong Theatre Company and Orange Civic Theatre.

Director Yaron Lifschitz
Composer and Sound Designer Jethro Woodward
Costume Designer Libby McDonnell
Head of Wardrobe Anna Handford
Lighting Designer Alexander Berlage
Associate Director Marty Evans
Dramaturg and Associate Choreographer Rani Luther
Voice Over Artist Elise Greig

Footage of brutal swan fight used with the kind permission of Carl Bovis.

International Representation

Allen Moon / David Lieberman Artists’ Representatives USA, Canada, Central & South America
Antonin Coutouly / Book Your Show France
Danielle Kellie / Circa Australia & New Zealand
Shaun Comerford / Circa Commercial Projects
Wolfgang Hoffmann / Aurora Nova Worldwide booking & coordination
Yaron Lifschitz / Circa New creations & big dreams

Circa acknowledges the assistance of the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body and the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.

Gallery

Tour Dates

Past Dates

Date City Venue
5th - 8th July 2023 Brisbane, Australia The Playhouse, QPAC

Circa is based in Meanjin (Brisbane) on the lands of the Jagera and Turrbal people. We respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the many lands on which we create and perform. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.
Always was. Always will be.