THE cast of the Mid Cheshire Musical Theatre Company's latest production HONK! were out in Northwich at the weekend promoting their upcoming show.

A modern musical very loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen's Tale of the Ugly Duckling, HONK! will be performed at the Grange Theatre Hartford from September 12 to 15, at 7.30pm each day as well as a 2pm Saturday matinee.

Set in a farmyard, the witty show featuring musical numbers highlights the problems of being ostracised for being 'different'.

It follows the adventures of 'Ugly', a giant 'duckling' who looks nothing like his cute brothers and sisters and delivers an ear-splitting honk.

Ida and Drake, a pair of ducks, watch excitedly as four eggs hatch and four bonny ducklings emerge.

The fifth egg is huge, and some time later a massive 'baby' emerges who looks nothing like his cute brothers and sisters, and is named 'Ugly'.

When he opens his beak, an ear-splitting 'honk' horrifies them all, and they begin to shun and jeer at him.

Ida, his mum, is very protective of her rather odd son but while her back is turned he is lured away by a crafty cat, who has him earmarked for supper.

We follow Ugly's adventures and various narrow escapes until he is finally reunited with his distraught mum, by which time he has of course transformed into a very handsome swan, far from an ugly outcast.

Adult tickets cost £15 and a family ticket is £48, available from thegrangetheatre.com or 01606 539040.

mcmtc.co.uk