Chagrin Valley Little Theatre

Honk! by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe

Performance Dates & Tickets

About the Play

Rediscover the classic 'Ugly Duckling' story you only thought you knew...

Directed by Pamela LaForce

Honk! is a family musical (but not necessarily a “children's show”), featuring catchy and quirky songs with witty lyrics that are often sung with a tongue planted firmly in cheek. Acclaimed authors George Stiles and Anthony Drewe present their musical retelling of Hans Christian Anderson’s classic ‘Ugly Ducking’ story.  Audiences of all ages will delight in the witty and moving tale of Ugly, a young duckling whose gawky looks incite prejudice from his family and neighbors from the day he hatches. When Ugly finds himself far away from home and pursued by a hungry Cat, his rollicking and harrowing journey leads him to discover love, acceptance, and his own inner beauty.  Honk!, which won the Olivier award for Best New Musical in 2000 (the British equivalent of the Tony Awards), beating the favored Lion King, is the perfect holiday musical for your entire family.

About the Playwrights

As a team, multi-award winning writers Stiles and Drewe have established an international reputation for their musical scores, revues and cabaret songs. Their collective musical success has led to their working with such talent as Sir Cameron Mackintosh and Steven Spielberg. Their work has been performed all across the UK, the USA, Canada, Europe, Israel, Russia, Singapore, and South Africa. Drewe and Stiles are founding members of The Mercury Workshop and are actively involved with the Vivian Ellis Foundation for New Musicals. They are currently working on two new musicals together.

During his 23-year writing collaboration with composer George Stiles, Anthony Drewe has written both book and lyrics for Tutankhamun, Just So, Soho Cinders, the multi award-winning Honk! and the lyrics for Peter Pan - A Musical Adventure. With composer Tony Hatch, he wrote lyrics for The Card and, with Singaporean composer Dick Lee, the lyrics for A Twist of Fate. His work as a director includes Snoopy, Honk! (South Africa, Chicago, Tokyo and Singapore) and Just So. As a performer, his work includes Rogues to Riches, The Three Musketeers and A Twist of Fate. Mary Poppins marked his Broadway debut.

George Stiles and Anthony Drewe have written five musicals together, most recently the new songs, additional music and lyrics, vocal and dance arrangements for the Disney/Cameron Mackintosh production of Mary Poppins. Stiles and Drewe's next project is Soho Cinders, and together they are founder board members of MMD, a charity promoting new writing for the musical theatre. Independently, Stiles is the composer of Moll Flanders, Tom Jones and, most recently, The Three Musketeers. His other recent projects include the score for Sam Mendes's productions of Habeas Corpus, Twelfth Night and Uncle Vanya in London, as well as a stint as Dame Edna's musical director and arranger.