Visual Story:

Arthur Ransome’s

Swallows and Amazons Adapted for the stage by Helen Edmundson, with songs by Neil

Hannon

Relaxed Performance: Thursday 5 December at 6.30pm

This visual story is designed for visitors to the Relaxed Performance of Swallows and Amazons. This document contains information about the play and lots of images to help prepare anyone who may be anxious about their visit. This visual story also has information to help you to find your way around Theatre by the Lake.

Familiarisation tours of the building

We offer special tours of the theatre to customers booking for our Relaxed Performances.

On a day of your choice, one of our friendly members of staff will show you around the theatre so you can get to know it a bit better. You’ll see the Front of House areas, including the café, toilets and where the ‘chill-out space’ will be on the day of the performance. You’ll also see the auditorium, including where you’ll sit to watch the show.

To book a tour, please contact Mary Elliott at mary.elliott@theatrebythelake.com or 017687 81103.

Contents:

Theatre by the Lake

The play – Swallows & Amazons

The story

Section One: Theatre by the Lake

Where is the play?

The play is being shown in Theatre by the

Lake in Keswick. The theatre is located

next to a lake called Derwentwater. To

walk to the theatre from the town centre,

follow signposts for ‘The Lake’. If you wish

to use a satnav the postcode is CA12 5DJ.

There is a car park next to the theatre. This

is a council car park so you have to pay to

park there – but parking is currently free

after 7pm. This performance starts at

6.30pm so depending on when you arrive

you may only need to pay for a short time.

Here is a picture of the theatre from the outside.

Access

Lift access is available to all floors of the theatre. There is only one lift, located

to the left of the bar.

There are disabled toilets on each floor, suitable for wheelchair access. On

the first floor, there is an additional ambulant disabled toilet. These are clearly

signposted.

Inside the theatre

This is the foyer (the inside area) of the theatre.

The foyer can get quite busy before the show as everyone waits to go into the

auditorium (where the play is shown). You may have to queue for your tickets

which you can pick up at the Box Office. If you have any questions about the

show or about your visit you can ask the friendly team at Box Office.

If you would like somewhere to sit, there are seats on the first and second

floor. The second floor (also called the Circle) will be a much quieter area if

you wish to have some ‘chill out time’ before, during or after the performance.

On the ground floor, there is a café (called the Stalls bar) which will be open

before, during and after the show. The café sells hot and cold food, alcoholic

and soft drinks as well as crisps and snacks. You can pre-order drinks for the

interval, which will be waiting for you when you come into the foyer during the

break.

Ice creams will be on sale in the foyer

and you can take them into the

auditorium. Groups can pre-order ice

creams and we can bring them into the

auditorium for you at the interval, if you

would prefer not to leave your seats.

They can be purchased at a

discounted rate. Please speak to Box

Office staff for details.

You might notice some people walking

around with walkie-talkies. This is the Front of House team and they are there

to make sure that everything runs smoothly. They will check your tickets and

help you to find your seats. They can also answer any questions that you may

have about the play or about the theatre.

You can take your bags and coats into the auditorium with you. You can just

pop these on the backs of your seats or underneath them. You may also take

in any electronic devices that you may need.

Information about the Auditorium, the stage and the

set

The auditorium is the part of the theatre where the audience sits when

they are watching the play.

The stage is the area where the actors perform the play.

The set is the name for all the scenery, furniture and objects used on

stage in a play.

What will the auditorium look like?

The stage is at the front of the theatre and is raised up so you can see what is

going on. Audience members (that’s you) are not allowed on to the stage.

There are three different levels in the auditorium.

Because this is a relaxed performance you can get up out of your seats if you

need to and move around. You can leave the auditorium if you need some

quiet time or if you need to use the toilet.

You will have some time before the show to find your seats and get comfy

before the play begins. These are the seats in the auditorium where the

audience sit.

How long does the play last?

The play is shown in two halves with a break in the middle (called the

‘interval’) and is 2 hours and 55 minutes long.

The first half lasts about 1 hour and 25 minutes

The interval lasts 20 minutes

The second half lasts about 1 hour and 5 minutes

After the show

If you would like to, after the show you can meet the actors who appear in the

play (the cast). They will talk to you about what it is like to be on stage and

about their characters. You can ask them anything you’d like to know.

Most people who come to the theatre don’t get to meet the cast so this is a

special opportunity, just for you and your friends / family. The session will last

15 minutes.

During the Meet the Cast session you will be able to take photographs. Please

note that during the show, photography is not allowed.

After the Meet the Cast session you can return to your seats to collect any

bags or coats and then you will leave the auditorium. You can still use any of

the theatre’s facilities such as toilets, café and chill-out area.

Section Two: The Play Swallows and Amazons

What is the play about?

There’s a full summary of the play at the end of this visual story.

This play is an adaptation of Arthur Ransome’s book, Swallows and Amazons.

This means that a playwright has turned the book into a play so you can enjoy

watching it on stage.

It is an adventure story about a group of children who are on holiday in the

Lake District. They go camping and pretend to be pirates, meeting all sorts of

characters and getting into lots of mischief. It is light-hearted and fun and

there’s lots of music and songs that help tell the story.

What will the play look like?

This is the stage and set:

The play is set in the Lake District in 1929. In the middle of the stage is a ‘set’,

which is made to look like an attic. The middle part of the stage ‘revolves’

(turns), so you will see different parts of the set depending on where that bit of

the story takes place.

There are steps on the sides of the set and the members of the cast use these

to climb up, down and around in different parts of the story. There are

musicians sitting on the top of the set, including a man playing the piano.

In the background there are large posts, which represent jetty posts. A jetty is

a place on a lakeside where you tie boats up to stop them floating away. The

sky is projected on to the back wall and it changes colour depending on the

weather in the story.

There are lots of objects dotted around the set, which the actors use during

the play. These are called ‘props’ and sometimes they are used to represent

different things – for example, ‘fat Vicky’ (the baby) is made out of hot water

bottles!

The characters in the play

John Walker: aged 12 The oldest of the children and the leader of the group. He is Captain of ‘The Swallows’.

Susan Walker: aged 11 Susan is the oldest girl in the Walker family and is the ‘mother’ figure of the group. She is very sensible and looks after the younger ones.

Titty Walker: aged 8 Titty loves adventure, has a vivid imagination and is always making up stories.

Roger Walker: aged 7 Roger is the youngest of the group and is desperate to learn to swim while on the camping trip.

Nancy Blackett: She is Captain of ‘Amazon’ and bosses her younger sister, Peggy, around. She loves adventures and pretending to be a pirate.

Peggy Blackett: Peggy is the younger of the Blackett girls. She gets bossed around by her older sister.

Mother: The Walker children’s mother stays at the farm and looks after ‘fat Vicky’, the baby.

Mr Jackson: He owns the farm where the Walker family are staying. He is a man of few words.

Captain Flint (also called James Turner): He is a writer who lives on a houseboat. He is also the Blackett’s uncle. The children name him ‘Captain Flint’ and pretend he is a retired pirate.

Other characters in the play:

Two pirates

Two charcoal burners

A policeman

Further information on the story and characters

In this section you will find out more about what happens in the play and there

are also some notes on particular moments which are dramatic and may be

distressing or exciting. You might want to talk these moments through before

coming to see the show.

Show notes:

The play is about a group of children who go camping in the Lakes and

pretend to be pirates. The Walker children name their ship ‘Swallow’

and refer to themselves as ‘The Swallows’. They meet two other girls

called Nancy and Peggy Blackett who are also camping on the island.

Their boat is named ‘Amazon’ and they call themselves ‘The Amazons’.

This is ‘Amazon’ This is ‘Swallow’

It would be impossible to have real boats on a stage because there’s no

water for them to float on. They are represented by other objects which

have been put together to look like boats, for example an artist’s easel.

Captain Flint’s boat is actually a pram.

We can’t have animals on the stage either so Polly the parrot, the

cormorants and the owl are all puppets operated by cast members.

Most of the action is set on an island or on the lake. There is no real

water – a light is used to represent the water on the stage floor and

there are sound effects to replicate the noise of the waves.

The Swallows and The Amazons are always shouting about going to

war and having battles. They are only pretending to fight and they never

really hurt each other.

There’s lots of music and lots of songs throughout the show. Sometimes

music is used to set the mood in the scene – maybe to represent

something happy, sad or scary. At other times, the songs tell you what

is happening in the story, so you need to listen carefully to the words.

Some of the songs are repeated in different parts of the show so you

may recognise them.

In the second half (after the interval break) there is a storm and there

will be thunder and lightning. The lighting and sound effects will be

dampened (or removed) for this Relaxed Performance.

After the storm, Titty finds herself alone in a drifting boat. She falls

asleep and has a dream, which is acted out on stage. You might find

this a little confusing, as strange things happen that would not happen

in real life. Titty sees two pirates in masks and also her brother Roger

with his head on a plate. There are lots of different coloured lights. Titty

doesn’t know whether she is asleep or awake, but the pirates tell her

that it is all in her imagination. She listens to what they say and then

goes back to sleep in the boat.

This is what Titty’s dream looks like.

The charcoal burners are also puppets operated by members of the

cast. They have funny accents and sing a funny song.

Several times during the show the pirates request a ‘parley’. This just

means that they want to sit down and talk, to try and work things out

without fighting. The phrase is often used in pirate stories and films, like

The Pirates of the Caribbean with Johnny Depp.

At the end of the play the children make Captain Flint ‘walk the plank’.

He falls down through an open trap door in the stage. He shouts and

screams a lot but he does not really hurt himself. He is just pretending.

Section Three: The story PART ONE The play begins in an attic. An old lady called Titty carries a feather duster. She is surrounded by old things including a trunk, a kettle, pots and pans and a photo album. She looks through the album and at the top of the set we see people looking through picture frames. They represent the pictures she is looking at; pictures of her family. Suddenly the feather duster squawks like a parrot. Titty sits up in surprise and remembers… Titty sings a song about Robinson Crusoe. There is a lot of activity on the stage and a boy runs in carrying a telegram. Titty cries out, ‘Roger’. The boy is her little brother. The next scene jumps back in time to the Lake District in 1929. The Walker family are on holiday. John is 12, Susan is 11, Titty is 8 and Roger is 7. Their father is in the navy and has sent them a telegram giving them permission to camp on one of the islands. The children are very excited. They write a list of all the things they will need for their adventure. They will sail a boat called ‘Swallow’ that belongs to Mr Jackson, but they can’t leave right away because there is no wind. Before they go to bed they talk about all the things they want to do on the island. Roger wants to learn to swim. Titty pretends that their mother is Queen Isabella and they are the Spanish conquistadors sailing off on an adventure. The children go to sleep and the sound of the wind can be heard, getting louder and louder. The next morning the children wake up and pack. They get the boat ready and wave goodbye to their mother and ‘fat Vicky’, the baby. They sing a song about Swallow. They see a houseboat and fantasise about who lives there.

There is a green parrot aboard and Titty declares that the owner must be a pirate. A cormorant swoops down and steals Roger’s food. They arrive at the island and sing a song called ‘The Conquering Heroes’. They explore and find a fireplace and a hidden harbour, but it is deserted. They hear a loud bang (a firework) and see a boat coming towards them. It is called Amazon. It has two girls in it and they are flying a pirate flag. The children jump in ‘Swallow’ and follow the pirate boat. As they pass the houseboat, the man angrily shakes his fist at them. He thinks they were responsible for throwing the firework on to his boat. The Swallows can’t catch Amazon and decide to go back to the island. John says he will sail back to see their mother and let her know they are OK. Roger and Titty play in the water pretending to be pearl divers. John returns with news. The man from the houseboat has complained that the children have been meddling with his boat. While they talk, an arrow hits their kettle. They think it must have been fired by the man on the houseboat as it has a green parrot feather on it. They spread out to investigate. Discovering that Swallow has disappeared, they return to camp to find the two girls from the pirate boat. They sing a song called ‘The Amazon Pirates’ while doing a terrifying war dance. John tries to make peace with them and asks for a ‘parley’. The girls are called Peggy and Nancy Blackett and they have been coming to the island for years. They like to play war games and pretend to be pirates and have built a camp on ‘Wildcat Island’. The Swallows think that they must be in league with the houseboat man, especially when they find out that he is their uncle. The girls explain that he is a writer and he has been ignoring them all summer instead of playing pirate games like he used to so they have sworn that he is their ‘mortal enemy’. They admit to stealing Swallow. The Swallows and Amazons decide to make an ‘alliance’ and ‘fight’ against their common enemy, the houseboat man (or Captain Flint, as Titty has christened him). Before they start their ‘battle’ the Blackett girls suggest that they try and capture each other’s boats to see who should be the flagship in the war against Captain Flint. They agree to start the next day and the girls leave the stage with a battle cry. The others follow. Later on that evening The Swallows put up some lanterns to help guide the boats into the harbour, ready for the following day. They decide to attack Amazon at night. Everyone goes to bed. John sings a song about how he will win the war and prove to his mother and father that he can be trusted to keep everyone safe.

The next morning there is no wind. They are all disappointed that they can’t sail, especially Titty. John and Susan try to cheer her up and they go and visit the charcoal burners. The charcoal burners tell them how to build a fire and give them a warning for Captain Flint. They tell him to take care of his boat and put a padlock on the door. John rows off to pass on the message but when the others return to camp they find a note signed from James Turner (Captain Flint) telling them to stay away from his houseboat. They try to warn John but it is too late. When John arrives at the houseboat the man accuses him of attacking the boat and calls him a liar. John is unable to deliver the message and returns to camp upset. The wind starts up and The Swallows decide to attack Amazon, although Susan thinks it is too dangerous. They leave Titty as lookout and tell her to light the guiding lights when she hears the secret sign of an owl hoot. Titty starts writing a diary, which she calls a ‘log’. The others sail off but when they reach the boathouse, it is empty. The Amazons have already moved their boat. As they sail away the storm gets worse. Titty is still alone on the island and is scared. She hears an owl hoot, and thinking it is John, Susan and Roger, she lights the lanterns. But as a boat appears she realises that it is Amazon, not Swallow. The Amazons land on the island and she hides. INTERVAL (20 minute break) PART TWO As the curtain rises we see Susan, John and Roger aboard Swallow. They are caught in a storm. They moor the boat and wait until morning. John feels responsible for putting them all in danger. The storm passes and Titty comes out of her hiding place. She hears the Amazons coming back and jumps in their boat, Amazon. She rows out of the harbour and then drops anchor, exhausted. She writes in her diary and then falls asleep. Titty has a dream, which is acted out on stage. There are strange coloured lights. She sees her mother dressed as Queen Isabella, some pirates hiding some treasure and her brother Roger, with his head on a plate! The pirates tell her that it is all in her imagination so she goes back to sleep. The next morning the others discover Titty floating in Amazon. Everyone is impressed by Titty’s bravery. They sail back to the island and the Amazons are waving a white flag of surrender. They too are impressed with Titty and

declare that Swallow will be the flagship in the war against Captain Flint. They head home but not before promising to meet later in the day to start the battle. The Swallows start collecting ‘weapons’ for the ‘battle’ but a policeman arrives on the island and tells them that the houseboat has been broken into. He thinks that they were involved and tells them to leave the island. He puts up a sign saying ‘No Children’. The children start to pack up the camp. The Amazons arrive and demand an explanation. The children explain and the girls get angry. They are annoyed at Captain Flint and put a pirate curse, the Black Spot, upon him. After delivering the Black Spot to the houseboat, Nancy returns with Captain Flint in pursuit. He lands and requests a ‘parley’. Captain Flint apologises to John and gradually wins them all over. He explains that he is a writer and someone has stolen his book. Together they try and solve the mystery. The children tell him about the charcoal burners’ warning and Titty describes her dream which has clues to where the thieves hid their treasure. Together they search the island and eventually they find the trunk which contains his typewriter and manuscript. Now that the book has been returned they all declare that they will have a wonderful ‘battle’ the next day: The Battle of Houseboat Bay. Roger is startled by a cormorant and runs into the water. He is so distracted by the bird that he doesn’t realise that he is swimming! The next day there is a huge ‘battle’ and Swallow and Amazon ‘attack’ the houseboat. Everyone ‘fights’ and the Captain is captured. The children’s mother appears in a rowing boat dressed as Queen Isabella. They list the Captain’s ‘crimes’ and she declares that he should be made to walk the plank. He tumbles into the trapdoor and after a few seconds, pops up again, wet but unharmed. Queen Isabella ‘knights’ Roger for learning to swim, and Captain Flint presents Titty with his parrot. Back on Wildcat Island the Swallows and the Amazons are packing up the camp. They all agree to come again the following year vowing to see off any invaders of their island. They all climb aboard their boats and sail off singing. THE END