Hull Truck Theatre and The Herd are thrilled to announce the all-female cast for The Ugly Duckling: Christmas Special.

Hull Truck Theatre and The Herd are thrilled to announce the cast for The Ugly Duckling: Christmas Special, a treat for under 7s and their families written by Samuel Caseley and directed by Ruby Thompson. This festive reimagining of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic tale will run at Hull Truck Theatre from Monday 17 December 2018 until Saturday 5 January 2019.

Sometimes being young is hard and you just can’t wait to grow up. You’ll be happy, you’ll be beautiful, you’ll fly. Right?

In a bird world where all cygnets are told the story of The Ugly Duckling, Swan School teaches the young to grow up quickly… but what is missed along the way?

This is a story about being an Ugly Duckling not a swan.

Join us this December for a brand-new show that celebrates friendship, living in the present, and the magic of childhood… especially at Christmas time!

The wondrous world imagined by The Herd will be populated by characters brought to life by a talented all-female cast: Sophie Clay, Sophie Mercell, and Phoebe Vigor.

Sophie Clay will play the role of Coach Spring, a swan and the teacher of Swan School. Sophie is a member of Middle Child Theatre company and a freelance actor. Her theatre credits include multi-award winning A Super Happy Story (About Feeling Super Sad) (Silent Uproar), Hard To Swallow (TIE it up), Ten-Storey Love Song, Aladdin, Till Death Do Us Part, Genesis: Resolution, Dick Whittington and His Cat, Billy With His Boots On, Blondie, Spine, Saturday Night Sunday Morning, Apples (Middlechild), Frocks, Fake Locks and Two Smokin’ Lasses (Pin-Up round),  Sausages (Chris Pearson/Kardomah94).

Sophie Mercell, who will portray Spruce, a cygnet who believes they’ll be the youngest ever bird to fly, trained at the Guildford School of Acting and has starred in productions such as Bread and Roses (Oldham Coliseum), Let Me Play the Lion Too (Told by an Idiot/ The Barbican), The Importance of Being Earnest (Jack Studio Theatre/ David Ball Productions), Passing (The Bunker Theatre), Autumn (The Pensive Federation/ Tristan Bates Theatre), Random (StoneCrabs Theatre/ The Albany), The Ice Queen (White Horse Theatre Company).

Pheobe Vigor will join the cast as Sidney, our youngest and wildest cygnet, who struggles a little with Swan School. Phoebe was cast in the 25th anniversary production of Jonathan Harvey's Beautiful Thing, as well as in his play Rupert Street Lonely Hearts Club. This year she also performed a one woman show Wind Bit Bitter, Bit Bit Bit Her at The Vaults Festival. Her other theatre credits include Fragments (The North Wall Theatre), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Shakespeare and Company), Twelfth Night (Bristol Old Vic Theatre School), Carmen, Khaovanshchina (English National Opera), The Pied Piper, This Be The Verse (Battersea Arts Centre).

Ruby Thompson, Director of The Ugly Duckling: Christmas Special, says:

“We are delighted to be making this original show for Hull’s younger audiences and their families. Our version of The Ugly Duckling will celebrate the importance of childhood and living in the present. Expect songs, games, obstacle courses, plenty of giggles, and the space to be a big kid.”

To book tickets for The Ugly Duckling: Christmas Special call the Hull Truck Theatre Box Office on 01482 323638.