Pantomime cows and horses are familiar sights on stage at this time of year. But they are not the only quadrupeds treading the boards: Christmas is a time when our furred and feathered friends often take centre stage. Their beastly behaviour, however, is often all too human: a chance for young audiences to see their dilemmas dramatised at one remove.

The Unicorn’s seasonal show Duck! focuses on fowl play at the pond. Here the issues are bullying, prejudice and finding your inner swan. Philip Osment’s new version of The Ugly Duckling is one of the most poignant children’s shows in London this Christmas, but Osment also gives Hans Christian Andersen’s familiar story a gritty, witty twist. He sets his version on Hampstead Heath, where the birds must contend with modern urban living, as well as with their natural predators.