Curtain Up! Productions celebrate 90th anniversary with the feel-good musical Honk!

To celebrate their 90th anniversary, Curtain Up! Productions are collaborating with South Downe Stage School to present the feel-good musical Honk!
By Phil Hewitt
Published 18th May 2023, 06:05 BST
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Curtain Up! director Ian Clark said: “First hatched in 1993, this Stiles and Drewe musical has winged its way around the world in over 8,000 productions. It has won multiple awards, including the Olivier Award for Best Musical in 2000 (beating the Lion King and Mamma Mia). Honk! is a musical adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen story, The Ugly Duckling! It has a heart-warming celebration of being different and will delight audiences of all ages with its sparkling wit and memorable score.

“Ugly looks different from his darling duckling brothers and sisters. The other animals on the farm are quick to notice and point this out, despite his mother's protective flapping. Feeling rather foul about himself, the little fowl finds himself on an adventure of self-discovery all the while unknowingly outwitting the very hungry Cat. Along the way, Ugly meets a whole flock of unique characters and finds out being different is not a bad thing to be.

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“George Stiles (music) and Anthony Drewe (book and lyrics) have become one of the foremost British writing teams. They have composed many musical shows, including the new version of Half a Sixpence (at the Chichester Festival Theatre), new music for Mary Poppins, The Wind in the Willows (which starred Rufus Hound), Betty Blue Eyes, and Just So (also at the Chichester Festival Theatre).

Honk! rehearsalsHonk! rehearsals
Honk! rehearsals

“Honk! is a joy. Ugly’s journey from misunderstood cygnet to majestic swan is brilliantly crafted and the music is so uplifting. You’ll leave the theatre with the biggest smile. Honk! is the perfect weekend treat for the whole family.”

Performances are at The Pallant Centre, Havant, PO9 1BE – Friday 19th May at 7.30pm, Saturday 20th May at 2.30pm and 7.30pm and Sunday 21st May at 2.30pm. Tickets £15 each or a Family Ticket £52 (4 seats, including at least 1 child) available online at

https://curtain-up-productions.sumupstore.com/page/https-curtain-up-productions-sumupstore-com-honk- or by scanning the QR code. Alternatively, you can find us on Facebook or at https://www.curtainup-productions.com/

Related topics:HONK!