Review: UGLY DUCKLING at Melbourne Fringe

Ugly Duckling, written by Spanky and performed by Karla Hillam, breathes new life into the tale we all know about the awkward protagonist coming into their own.

Accompanied by musical theatre favourite Andrew Kroenert on both piano and guitar, Hillam stars in the show as the Ugly Duckling, an unattractive bird adopted by a celebrity family for publicity. The Yorkshire accent adopted for the character was unnecessary and made the arrival of her character in Portsea particularly hard to grasp.

Despite a few moments of stretching her range and a few disconnected song choices, Hillam is incredibly engaging and has a stunning voice, particularly displayed in her cover of Sara Bareilles' Gravity. The duet between Hillam and Kroenert is also a welcome addition to the show.

Hillam is definitely one to watch as her cabaret style and characters develop. This reviewer will absolutely be staying tuned!