When Dinah Duck's newest egg starts to crack open, so starts one of the most famous stories about growing up ever told. Bursting with charming songs this new musical play follows Dudley the Duckling as he travels beyond the safety of the farmyard into the unknown perils of the wild forest. Guided by his friend Kha, a wise raven, he must learn to survive the freezing winter and overcome the trickery of others before he can discover his true identity.

Director, Karen Simpson, is also the Director of the Creative Development Programme at Sheffield Theatres. Following the success of Eyecatcher, Leopard and Handful of Henna, Karen Simpson once again commands the intimate space of the Studio to bring this classic fable to life. Writer Neil Duffield specializes in writing for children and young people and in 2006 won the Arts Council of England Children's Award. He previously worked with Karen Simpson when he wrote Leopard which played to Studio audiences in May of this year to great acclaim. Now he lends his hand to a humorous and endearing adaptation of this traditional Hans Christian Andersen tale.

Original music by composer Matt Marks enhances the production's charm. Including some quirky songs and beautiful solos, the music is performed live by the talented Ugly Duckling company. The fresh and youthful cast of musician-actors stars Andrew Thompson as Dudley, Holly Ashton as motherly Dinah Duck, Fionnuala Dorrity as the noble Raven Kha and Liz Jadav as the haughty Prima Donna and Sly the Fox.

The costumes and set are designed by Laura McEwen, the changing scenery and lighting charts Dudley's transformation with warmth and sparkle.

Also helping to spread the magic of this production is the Jump In! Creative Project supported by The Ernest Cook Trust. This fun and innovative project will see two mainstream and two special schools from the Sheffield region working together to explore the issues of inclusion and identity raised in The Ugly Duckling. -- www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk