Birmingham Rep has announced casting for its forthcoming production of The Ugly Duckling which runs in The Door, The Rep’s intimate theatre space, during the festive period between Thursday 3 December 2026 - Sunday 10 January 2027.

Aimed at 3 - 6 year olds, this delightful adaptation by Katherine Chandler reimagines Hans Christian Andersen’s charming fairy tale, and offers the perfect introduction to theatre for younger audiences.

One brave little duckling embarks on an extraordinary mission to find a place where they truly belong. Farm life has a very strict pecking order, and one duckling is too big, too dull, and too ugly to be accepted by the other animals. When the name-calling reaches the final straw, The Ugly Duckling marches out into the big wide world to see if the grass really is greener on the other side.  

Battling through the seasons and facing their biggest adventure yet, our determined hero learns that being different is something to celebrate, and that the greatest journeys are the ones that lead us to ourselves. 

The Ugly Duckling runs alongside The Rep’s mainstage production of Peter Pan, J M Barrie’s much-loved children’s story about the boy who wouldn’t grow up, which plays between 19 November 2026 – 17 January 2027.

The acting company for The Ugly Duckling comprises Reisz ‘Odd Priest’ Amos (who has also composed the music for the show), Elliot Rosa-Craig, and, as The Ugly Duckling, Maya Thompson. Alfred Bartlett will perform in place of Reisz ‘Odd Priest’ Amos on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 December.

A number of free pre-show workshops will complement the production. Using props, music and themes from the story, children will be encouraged to take part in these immersive, 30-minute sessions before watching the story come to life on stage. The workshops take place on Saturday 5 December at 2.15pm (ahead of the 3pm performance), Saturday 19 December at 9.15am (ahead of the 10am performance), and on Tuesday 22 December at 11.15am (ahead of the 12noon performance).

To book visit Birmingham Rep at birmingham-rep.co.uk