Karla Hillam moves with the slink and waddle of a ballerina performing Swan Lake on the set of EastEnders. That’s supposed to be a compliment, by the way.
Emerging from behind the curtain in fetching, rustic avian aesthetic like a burlesque mash-up of Black Swan and Imperator Furiosa, Karla – with the help of Andrew Kroenert on piano and guitar – tells a sweet little story of a duckling navigating life and love.
On the Grand Theatrical Venn Diagram, the circles labelled “Dolly Parton references” and “Exceptional show” completely overlap each other. Here is no exception – writer and director, Spanky, crafting a beautiful tale from Andrew’s playing and Karla’s fantastic performance.
Karla’s engaging presence and great banter-style of delivery ensured the audience were entertained the audience throughout, in this charming ballad about love and letting go (not just of feathers).
Ugly Duckling
The Butterfly Club, 5 Carson Place, Melbourne
Performance: Wednesday 20 September 2017 – 8.30pm
Season continues to 24 September 2017
Information and Bookings: www.thebutterflyclub.com
Image: Karla Hillam
Review: David Collins