Honk! JR.
★★★★★ Swan-tastic
The Edinburgh Academy (Venue 70): Wed 5 – Sun 16 Aug 2026
Review by Shuang Ning Tan
Captivate Theatre takes on the Ugly Duckling fairytale in Honk! JR. at the Edinburgh Academy in a humorous and passionate musical following the adventures of Ugly on a road to acceptance.
Adapted from Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytale by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, the story is a familiar one: when a duckling hatches with a face only a mother could love, it’s not long before she is named Ugly and ostracised for being different.
A scene from Captivate Theatre’s production of Honk! JR. Pic: Victoria Watson.
Lured away from home by a predatory cat, Ugly encounters many spirited characters while searching for a way back. Meanwhile, her mother Ida sets out of the farm to reunite with Ugly, leaving her neglectful husband Drake to raise their ducklings as a single father.
Sally Lyall’s direction strikes the balance of fun and poignancy, giving individual characters time to shine without neglecting the ensemble. In spite of the limited space, the stage feels lively rather than cramped. This is largely thanks to April Beattie, who adapts her choreography to fit each character’s unique personality, incorporating feline grace for the Cat and militaristic discipline for the geese.
Beattie’s work is beautifully complemented by Marian McPhillips and Kelly Michael’s costumes, dressing characters with human fashion while alluding to the characters’ real-life counterparts. For instance, the Ducklings wear caps with a yellow crown (head) and orange visor (beak), while the Cat wears a menacing all-black outfit with fingerless cat-paw gloves.
a professional-level production
Despite the ‘JR’ in the title, this is a professional-level production with strong performances across the board. Some of the principal characters are double cast, with different performers on alternating dates. Full details of the alternate casts at the end of the review..
Stella Bateman Ross as Ugly instantly steals the show with her youthful enthusiasm. She perfectly captures Ugly’s childhood innocence in a sympathetic performance, infusing emotion into her every word and expression, from the palpable self-hatred in her solo song ‘Different’ to her growing hope in ‘Warts And All’.
The ducklings in Captivate’s Honk! JR. Pic: Victoria Watson.
Another standout performance is Lily Dennett as Ida, who maintains a steady, nurturing presence onstage. Dressed conservatively in yellow, she conveys Ida’s gentle motherly nature with suitably subdued emotion that is nonetheless affecting, expertly demonstrating Ida’s feelings of wordless pride as Ugly joins the swans. Her chemistry with Archie Mccormick’s Drake (the duck family patriarch) is excellent, who contrasts her compassionate motherhood with his aggressively Scottish masculinity.
The Cat is the primary antagonist in the show, needing to strike the balance between a genuinely sinister presence and an entertaining family-friendly villain. Faye Campbell excels at this, portraying the character with gleeful menace and confidence. Amusing yet threatening, she effortlessly delivers her pun-filled lines with impeccable comedic timing.
charismatic
The other actors can also command the stage when it’s their time in the spotlight. Joshua Brown is spectacularly charismatic and eye-catching as the Bullfrog, a fun and inspiring figure that Ugly meets outside the farm.
Similarly, Lewis Maguire establishes Greylag, the militaristic leader of the goose squadron, as an imposing presence without being stern. And, despite having far less to work with, the remainder of the cast use their physicality and tone of voice to create likeable characters.
Heartwarming and touching, Honk! JR is a charming production for all ages, embracing humour without shying away from darker moments.
Running time: One hour and 10 minutes (no interval).
The Edinburgh Academy (Magnuson Theatre), 42 Henderson Row EH3 5BL (Venue 70).
Wednesday 5 – Sunday 16 August 2026.
Daily: 1.45pm.
Tickets and details: Book here..
The doubled roles are:
Ugly: Alex Hardy / Stella Bateman Ross
Ida: Anna Hedges / Lily Dennett
Maureen: Lily Richards / Alice McAslan
Henrietta: Abbie Patterson / Jessica Scholes
Grace: Nilla Bates / Ellie Rawlinson Watkins
Jaybird: Maisie Bruce / Emily McKellican
Snowy: Elspeth Hunter / Kitty Hardy
Captivate website: www.captivatetheatre.com/
Facebook: @captivatetheatre
Instagram: @captivatetheatre
TikTok: @captivate_theatre
A scene from Captivate Theatre’s Honk! JR. Pic: Victoria Watson.
ENDS
