Honk!
Encyclopedia
Honk! is a musical adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen
story The Ugly Duckling
, incorporating a message of tolerance. The book and lyrics are by Anthony Drewe
and music is by George Stiles
(of the British
songwriting duo Stiles and Drewe). Aimed primarily at children and their parents, the musical is set in the countryside and features Ugly, a duck
ling who is rejected by everyone but his mother, Ida; a sly tomcat
who wants to eat Ugly; and other barnyard creatures.
The musical debuted at The Watermill Theatre
in England in 1993. The West End
production opened in 1999 and won the 2000 Olivier Award for Best Musical.
The show is frequently produced by schools, as well as regional and community theatre groups, in Britain, the U.S. and Canada.
Honk! opened in 1993 at The Watermill Theatre
in Newbury
, England, originally titled The Ugly Duckling or the Aesthetically Challenged Farmyard Fowl. It returned to the Watermill Theatre in December 2007. Both productions were directed by Steven Dexter
.
Scarborough, England
A revised version, directed by Julia McKenzie
, opened at the Stephen Joseph Theatre
in Scarborough, England in 1997 under the name Honk!
West End
The West End
production opened on 11 December 1999 at The Royal National Theatre
in London and won the 2000 Olivier Award for Best Musical. In Ireland the Dublin Premiere of the show received a nomination for Best Show in 2003 from the Association of Irish Musicals and came in second place in the Waterford
International Festival of Light Opera for 2004.
Nyack
Honk! made its U.S. premiere at the Helen Hayes Performing Arts Center (since 2006 known as the Riverspace Arts in Nyack) in Nyack, New York
in February 2000.
North Shore Music Theatre
A slightly re-written production with a script more oriented to Americans opened at the North Shore Music Theatre
in the same year as the Nyack production. Changes included the Turkey having a fear of Thanksgiving
, and the first verse of the song, "A Poultry Tale" being changed from "In our backwater of England" to "In our patch behind the farmhouse". This version is licensed in the USA by Music Theatre International
.
* The characters Queenie and Lowbutt do not appear in Honk! Jr. (see below)
** The character Jay Bird can be played by a boy or a girl. Should the role be played by a girl, the character is renamed Maggie Pie. The UK version is called Jack Daw rather than Jay Bird, and the TV show is renamed "Britain's Most Feathered".
It is Spring, and Drake thinks about life on the farm. ("Poultry Tale"). As he attempts to sneak away, Ida scolds him for neglecting their eggs that are about to hatch. Drake believes one huge egg is a turkey's egg, but Ida is doubtful. Ida expresses "The Joy of Motherhood" and is joined by her friend Maureen, when all of the "normal" eggs hatch. Drake takes the ducklings to learn to swim, leaving Ida to wait for the fifth egg to hatch ("Different" pre-reprise). It finally hatches to reveal Ugly. Ida is initially shocked but is overjoyed that the new arrival is not a turkey. As she teaches him to swim, she notices his amazing talent ("Hold Your Head Up High").
When Drake and the ducklings return, they are aghast at Ugly's appearance and, along with Maureen, Henrietta, the Turkey, and everyone else, make fun of him, while the Cat admires what a great meal he would be ("Look At Him"). As Ugly tries and fails to "quack," he realizes he's just "Different". The Cat offers to be Ugly's friend and to treat him to lunch, which he happily accepts. Ugly tries to get Ida's permission, but she is too busy with the other ducklings. After Ugly leaves with the Cat, Ida realizes Ugly is missing. Everyone splits up to look for him.
In his lair, the Cat is preparing to eat Ugly, who is unaware of the danger ("Play With Your Food"). Just as the Cat is about to strike, the children playing outside send a ball flying through the window, hitting the Cat and causing him to fall into the pot. Ugly thinks he is hiding and goes to find a hiding place of his own, but ends up getting lost ("Lost"). Back at the duckyard, no one can find Ugly, and they mourn him ("The Elegy"), but Ida refuses to believe he is dead. Jay Bird (or Maggie Pie), interrupts and begins to interview Ida for "America's Most Feathered". Ida laments about what it's like to lose one of your children ("Every Tear a Mother Cries"). Ida continues to search for Ugly, leaving her other four ducklings with Drake as they kiss.
Meanwhile, Ugly comes across two military geese, Greylag and Dot, and begs for their help. They and their "squadron" of geese decide to go on a reconnaissance mission to find Ugly's home ("Wild Goose Chase"). However, there is a shoot going on in the marsh, so the Cat sneaks in and offers to help out by telling them when the shoot is over, hoping that they will leave him alone with Ugly. Greylag sees through the Cat's plan and takes him along. The Geese and the Cat head off to the shoot, which is still going on, and get shot down. Ugly, who didn't go on the mission with them, realizes that the Cat is evil and had lied. Ida sets off to find Ugly, and they both vow to find each other and be reunited. ("Hold Your Head Up High" Reprise).
Act II
Ugly wanders into a house and meets Queenie and Lowbutt, a domesticated cat and chicken. They too make fun of him not only for his looks but also for not being of "their sort" ("It Takes All Sorts"). When they turn on the TV, they see Ida and Jay Bird broadcasting a missing notice for Ugly. Ugly recognizes his mother and Queenie goes to call the advertised number. Just then the doorbell rings, and the Cat enters, poorly disguised as Drake. Ugly sees through the disguise, but Lowbutt believes he is actually Ugly's father. But when Queenie comes back in, the Cat falls in love. Queenie also thinks he is a duck, but she too falls in love when he removes his disguise ("Together"). Lowbutt is dismayed, so she helps Ugly to escape, leaving the Cat to decide between his meal and Queenie. He chooses to go after Ugly, leaving Lowbutt to console Queenie.
Back at the farmyard, Drake is forced into some responsibility, and, now that the ducklings are almost a year old, they are beginning to give Drake a hard time as teenagers. Ida, still searching for Ugly, comes across everyone that Ugly has met ("The Collage"). Meanwhile, Ugly finds Penny, a swan, caught in some fishing line and untangles her. Penny, knowing Ugly is a swan, invites him to migrate with her, but Ugly insists that he can't. As Penny flies away, Ugly realizes he is in love with her ("Now I've Seen You"), but is sad because he believes she could never love someone as ugly as himself. Just then, a Bullfrog comes hopping by. Noticing his bad mood, he tells Ugly about how "ugliness" is just a matter of taste and that someone out there will always love you ("Warts and All"). The song cheers Ugly up, and the bullfrog leaves. Suddenly, a net drops on Ugly's head. A farmer has caught him for his family's Sunday roast. When the Farmer goes to get his knife, the Cat sneaks back onstage and offers a deal; he will lead Ugly back to the farm, but Ugly has to promise to be the Cat's lunch. Ugly agrees, and both of them head back to the farmyard.
On the way, the two get caught in a blizzard and freeze ("The Blizzard"). Ida unfortunately has gotten caught in it as well. Ida notices them and believes Ugly is dead. Penny and her family come to Ida and tell her to cry, that her tears of hope will save Ugly. Soon Ugly wakes up and realizes he is not a duck, but a swan, then reunites with his mother ("Transformation"). Penny recognizes that Ugly is the one who saved her earlier and the two confess their love to each other. The swans invite Ugly to come learn their ways. Although Ugly wants to stay with Ida, she insists that he go with the swans. As they fly off, Ida sings of how Ugly was different, but Ugly suddenly reappears with Penny, as they have decided to stay with Ida. Just before they leave, Ugly frees the Cat, who has remained frozen this entire time. As the Cat notices Ugly is not a duck but a swan, he goes insane before running away in defeat ("Melting Moggy").
Ugly, Penny and Ida return to the lake; everyone loves Ugly now that he's a swan. They ask for his forgiveness for making fun of him ("Look At Him" Reprise). Ugly happily accepts their apology and introduces Penny. Grace decides to relinquish the Red Band, now the Cygnet Ring, to Ugly, dubbing him "the finest bird on the lake".
Act II
^These songs do not appear in Honk! Jr.
Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author, fairy tale writer, and poet noted for his children's stories. These include "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," "The Snow Queen," "The Little Mermaid," "Thumbelina," "The Little Match Girl," and "The Ugly Duckling."...
story The Ugly Duckling
The Ugly Duckling
"The Ugly Duckling" is a literary fairy tale by Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen . The story tells of a homely little bird born in a barnyard who suffers abuse from his neighbors until, much to his delight , he matures into a beautiful swan, the most beautiful bird of all...
, incorporating a message of tolerance. The book and lyrics are by Anthony Drewe
Anthony Drewe
Anthony Drewe is a British lyricist and book writer for Broadway and West End musicals. He is best known for his collaborations with George Stiles.-Work with George Stiles:*additional songs for the musical Mary Poppins*Tutankhamun*Honk!...
and music is by George Stiles
George Stiles
George William Stiles is an English composer of musicals for stage and screen.-Education:From 1974 to 1979, he was educated at Gresham's School, in Norfolk.George Stiles also went to Exeter University.-Collaboration with Anthony Drewe:...
(of the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
songwriting duo Stiles and Drewe). Aimed primarily at children and their parents, the musical is set in the countryside and features Ugly, a duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
ling who is rejected by everyone but his mother, Ida; a sly tomcat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
who wants to eat Ugly; and other barnyard creatures.
The musical debuted at The Watermill Theatre
Watermill Theatre
The Watermill Theatre is an award -winning, professional repertory theatre with charitable status. It is a converted watermill with gardens beside the River Lambourn, in Bagnor, near Newbury, Berkshire, England...
in England in 1993. The West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
production opened in 1999 and won the 2000 Olivier Award for Best Musical.
The show is frequently produced by schools, as well as regional and community theatre groups, in Britain, the U.S. and Canada.
Production history
Newbury, EnglandHonk! opened in 1993 at The Watermill Theatre
Watermill Theatre
The Watermill Theatre is an award -winning, professional repertory theatre with charitable status. It is a converted watermill with gardens beside the River Lambourn, in Bagnor, near Newbury, Berkshire, England...
in Newbury
Newbury, Berkshire
Newbury is a civil parish and the principal town in the west of the county of Berkshire in England. It is situated on the River Kennet and the Kennet and Avon Canal, and has a town centre containing many 17th century buildings. Newbury is best known for its racecourse and the adjoining former USAF...
, England, originally titled The Ugly Duckling or the Aesthetically Challenged Farmyard Fowl. It returned to the Watermill Theatre in December 2007. Both productions were directed by Steven Dexter
Steven Dexter
Steven Dexter is a theatre director and writer. Born in South Africa, he moved to London in 1984 and studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.- West End productions :...
.
Scarborough, England
A revised version, directed by Julia McKenzie
Julia McKenzie
Julia McKenzie is an English actress, singer, and theatre director. She is best-known for her performance in Fresh Fields, but to current television audiences, she is best known for her role as Miss Marple in Agatha Christie's Marple...
, opened at the Stephen Joseph Theatre
Stephen Joseph Theatre
The Stephen Joseph Theatre is a theatre in the round in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England that was founded by Stephen Joseph and was the first theatre in the round in Britain....
in Scarborough, England in 1997 under the name Honk!
West End
The West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
production opened on 11 December 1999 at The Royal National Theatre
Royal National Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
in London and won the 2000 Olivier Award for Best Musical. In Ireland the Dublin Premiere of the show received a nomination for Best Show in 2003 from the Association of Irish Musicals and came in second place in the Waterford
Waterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
International Festival of Light Opera for 2004.
Nyack
Honk! made its U.S. premiere at the Helen Hayes Performing Arts Center (since 2006 known as the Riverspace Arts in Nyack) in Nyack, New York
Nyack, New York
Nyack is a village in the towns of Orangetown and Clarkstown in Rockland County, New York, United States, located north of South Nyack; east of Central Nyack; south of Upper Nyack and west of the Hudson River, approximately 19 miles north of the Manhattan boundary, it is an inner suburb of New...
in February 2000.
North Shore Music Theatre
A slightly re-written production with a script more oriented to Americans opened at the North Shore Music Theatre
North Shore Music Theatre
North Shore Music Theatre is the largest operating regional theater in New England. It is located in Beverly, Massachusetts and is one of the few remaining theatre-in-the-round stages left in the United States.-History:...
in the same year as the Nyack production. Changes included the Turkey having a fear of Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
, and the first verse of the song, "A Poultry Tale" being changed from "In our backwater of England" to "In our patch behind the farmhouse". This version is licensed in the USA by Music Theatre International
Music Theatre International
Music Theatre International, often abbreviated MTI, is a theatrical licensing agency based in New York City. The League of American Theatres and Producers calls MTI "A leader in the theatrical licensing industry."-Description:...
.
Principal characters
| Characters | Description |
| Ugly | The main character, who is shunned for his odd appearance |
| Ida | Ugly's mother, the only one supportive of him |
| Cat | Trying to eat Ugly, sly and cunning (a villain) |
| Drake | Ugly's father, who detests Ugly |
| Maureen | Ida's friend, a little conceited |
| The Turkey | Afraid of Christmas (Thanksgiving in American version) |
| Ducklings | Ugly's siblings (Billy, Beaky, Downy and Fluff. Some versions include additional ducklings.) |
| Grace | The most Distinguished duck on the lake, or so she says because of the red band on her leg |
| Henrietta | A friend of Maureen and Ida, she acts as somewhat a busybody |
| Bullfrog | Laid-back, self-confident frog |
| Froglets | The bullfrog's kids |
| Queenie* | Domesticated cat |
| Lowbutt* | Domesticated chicken |
| Greylag | Admiral goose, Dot's husband |
| Dot | Female goose, Greylag's Wife |
| Barnacles, Pinkfoot, Snowy | Members of the Goose Squadron |
| Father Swan | Father to Penny |
| Mother Swan | Mother to Penny |
| Penny | A beautiful Swan who Ugly falls in love with |
| Bewick | A Swan, brother/sister of Penny |
| Jay Bird** | An 'in your face' reporter from America's Most Feathered |
Plot
Act IIt is Spring, and Drake thinks about life on the farm. ("Poultry Tale"). As he attempts to sneak away, Ida scolds him for neglecting their eggs that are about to hatch. Drake believes one huge egg is a turkey's egg, but Ida is doubtful. Ida expresses "The Joy of Motherhood" and is joined by her friend Maureen, when all of the "normal" eggs hatch. Drake takes the ducklings to learn to swim, leaving Ida to wait for the fifth egg to hatch ("Different" pre-reprise). It finally hatches to reveal Ugly. Ida is initially shocked but is overjoyed that the new arrival is not a turkey. As she teaches him to swim, she notices his amazing talent ("Hold Your Head Up High").
When Drake and the ducklings return, they are aghast at Ugly's appearance and, along with Maureen, Henrietta, the Turkey, and everyone else, make fun of him, while the Cat admires what a great meal he would be ("Look At Him"). As Ugly tries and fails to "quack," he realizes he's just "Different". The Cat offers to be Ugly's friend and to treat him to lunch, which he happily accepts. Ugly tries to get Ida's permission, but she is too busy with the other ducklings. After Ugly leaves with the Cat, Ida realizes Ugly is missing. Everyone splits up to look for him.
In his lair, the Cat is preparing to eat Ugly, who is unaware of the danger ("Play With Your Food"). Just as the Cat is about to strike, the children playing outside send a ball flying through the window, hitting the Cat and causing him to fall into the pot. Ugly thinks he is hiding and goes to find a hiding place of his own, but ends up getting lost ("Lost"). Back at the duckyard, no one can find Ugly, and they mourn him ("The Elegy"), but Ida refuses to believe he is dead. Jay Bird (or Maggie Pie), interrupts and begins to interview Ida for "America's Most Feathered". Ida laments about what it's like to lose one of your children ("Every Tear a Mother Cries"). Ida continues to search for Ugly, leaving her other four ducklings with Drake as they kiss.
Meanwhile, Ugly comes across two military geese, Greylag and Dot, and begs for their help. They and their "squadron" of geese decide to go on a reconnaissance mission to find Ugly's home ("Wild Goose Chase"). However, there is a shoot going on in the marsh, so the Cat sneaks in and offers to help out by telling them when the shoot is over, hoping that they will leave him alone with Ugly. Greylag sees through the Cat's plan and takes him along. The Geese and the Cat head off to the shoot, which is still going on, and get shot down. Ugly, who didn't go on the mission with them, realizes that the Cat is evil and had lied. Ida sets off to find Ugly, and they both vow to find each other and be reunited. ("Hold Your Head Up High" Reprise).
Act II
Ugly wanders into a house and meets Queenie and Lowbutt, a domesticated cat and chicken. They too make fun of him not only for his looks but also for not being of "their sort" ("It Takes All Sorts"). When they turn on the TV, they see Ida and Jay Bird broadcasting a missing notice for Ugly. Ugly recognizes his mother and Queenie goes to call the advertised number. Just then the doorbell rings, and the Cat enters, poorly disguised as Drake. Ugly sees through the disguise, but Lowbutt believes he is actually Ugly's father. But when Queenie comes back in, the Cat falls in love. Queenie also thinks he is a duck, but she too falls in love when he removes his disguise ("Together"). Lowbutt is dismayed, so she helps Ugly to escape, leaving the Cat to decide between his meal and Queenie. He chooses to go after Ugly, leaving Lowbutt to console Queenie.
Back at the farmyard, Drake is forced into some responsibility, and, now that the ducklings are almost a year old, they are beginning to give Drake a hard time as teenagers. Ida, still searching for Ugly, comes across everyone that Ugly has met ("The Collage"). Meanwhile, Ugly finds Penny, a swan, caught in some fishing line and untangles her. Penny, knowing Ugly is a swan, invites him to migrate with her, but Ugly insists that he can't. As Penny flies away, Ugly realizes he is in love with her ("Now I've Seen You"), but is sad because he believes she could never love someone as ugly as himself. Just then, a Bullfrog comes hopping by. Noticing his bad mood, he tells Ugly about how "ugliness" is just a matter of taste and that someone out there will always love you ("Warts and All"). The song cheers Ugly up, and the bullfrog leaves. Suddenly, a net drops on Ugly's head. A farmer has caught him for his family's Sunday roast. When the Farmer goes to get his knife, the Cat sneaks back onstage and offers a deal; he will lead Ugly back to the farm, but Ugly has to promise to be the Cat's lunch. Ugly agrees, and both of them head back to the farmyard.
On the way, the two get caught in a blizzard and freeze ("The Blizzard"). Ida unfortunately has gotten caught in it as well. Ida notices them and believes Ugly is dead. Penny and her family come to Ida and tell her to cry, that her tears of hope will save Ugly. Soon Ugly wakes up and realizes he is not a duck, but a swan, then reunites with his mother ("Transformation"). Penny recognizes that Ugly is the one who saved her earlier and the two confess their love to each other. The swans invite Ugly to come learn their ways. Although Ugly wants to stay with Ida, she insists that he go with the swans. As they fly off, Ida sings of how Ugly was different, but Ugly suddenly reappears with Penny, as they have decided to stay with Ida. Just before they leave, Ugly frees the Cat, who has remained frozen this entire time. As the Cat notices Ugly is not a duck but a swan, he goes insane before running away in defeat ("Melting Moggy").
Ugly, Penny and Ida return to the lake; everyone loves Ugly now that he's a swan. They ask for his forgiveness for making fun of him ("Look At Him" Reprise). Ugly happily accepts their apology and introduces Penny. Grace decides to relinquish the Red Band, now the Cygnet Ring, to Ugly, dubbing him "the finest bird on the lake".
Musical numbers
Act I- "A Poultry Tale" - Drake, Ida, Cat, Henrietta, Maureen, Turkey, Grace, Ensemble
- "The Joy of Motherhood" - Ida, Maureen
- "Different"(pre-reprise) - Ida
- "Hold Your Head up High" - Ida, Ugly, Fish (Ensemble)
- "Look at Him" - Ida, Drake, Ugly, Maureen, Henrietta, Turkey, Ducklings, Cat, Grace,Ensemble
- "Different" - Ugly
- "You Can Play With your Food" - Cat, Ugly
- "Lost" - Ugly^
- "The Elegy" - Ensemble^
- "Every Tear A Mother Cries" - Ida
- "The Wild Goose Chase - Greylag, Dot, Cat, Ugly, Geese (Ensemble)
- "Hold Your Head Up High" (Reprise) - Ida, Ugly^
Act II
- "It Takes All Sorts" - Queenie, Lowbutt^
- "Together" - Cat, Queenie, Lowbutt^
- "The Collage" - Drake, Ida, Ensemble^
- "Now I've Seen You" - Ugly^
- "Warts And All" - Bullfrog, Ugly, Froglets (Ensemble)
- "The Blizzard" - Ensemble, Ugly, Cat
- "Transformation" - Ugly, Ida, Penny
- "Melting Moggy" - Cat^
- "Look At Him" (Reprise) - Ensemble
- "Warts And All" (Reprise) - Ensemble
^These songs do not appear in Honk! Jr.