Shay Mace
The Ugly Duckling has all grown up, and is now a global phenomenon know only as Swan. Having discarded their past identity, and seemingly the initial message of the famous fairy tale about finding their flock, they dazzle in a cabaret hour celebrating their life through song, dance and glamour. Rebecka Öberg crafts a new fable from this classic tale, exploring what happens when you forget your roots and shed your feathers in favour of a superficial offering to the world, and what it means to hold space on a stage. While at points it dazzles and engages, it feels this is a nascent version of the piece that could hone its focus and technique to preen more from its intriguing central concept.
Engaging with the audience, Swan at first seems shocked and disappointed that we are not ready to revere them. Öberg here deftly twines an exploration of fame in the modern age of influencers and overnight stardom with an unpacking of its inherent superficiality. As we’re taken across a kaleidoscopic set of original songs that delve into Swan’s emotions, it is clear that beneath the veneer there is a troubled soul who wishes only to see what’s ahead of them, and not what has got them here. It’s a powerful ethos that Öberg delivers with charm and novelty, as we see them return to the mirror to catch their breath and Swan’s reflection, the audience too has to catch their breath from the breakneck speed at which the piece unravels. A slower pace may give a greater depth of introspection here, as much of the character is forged in response to audience interaction sections and a foreboding omnipresent voice, rather than in Swan’s own storytelling.
The original songs are joyfully crafted, mixed with movement sections that slowly reveal more layers to the central performance, both literally and quite metaphorically. Öberg’s voice occasionally gets lost in the sound mixing, though the atmospheric nature of the melodies is genuinely engrossing, ambient and evocative. Developed at an artist residency in WOMB, Mexico City, there’s clearly a strong depth of feeling and empathy for the character baked into the performance that resolves itself in a holistic and stark finale that allows Öberg’s own philosophy and presence to appear within the slowly-dissolving mirage of Swan’s story. It’s a fascinating dialectic that could do with richer exploration and a greater runtime, with the piece running only for 40 minutes against a 50 minute advertised runtime, there’s plenty more space for Swan and Öberg’s stories to intertwine further, and deliver the powerful pathos that the finale demands.
Rich, engaging, and soulfully bare-all, much like its central character, Beneath Still Waters is a genuine one-of-a-kind cabaret performance with farther depths to reach.
An Ugly Duckling cocktail, of course – Gin and bitter Campari with a zesty Grapefruit and Citrus twist.
Beneath Still Waters
Performance Dates- Mon 9 Nov 2026
- Tue 10 Nov 2026
- Fri 13 Nov 2026
The Ugly Duckling has grown up, glown up, and they’re doing great. Thriving, in fact. Join them for an evening celebrating their flawless life. Beneath Still Waters is a solo performance developed during an artist…
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Maia Kahn
