Visual Story: Swallows and Amazons

Transcription

1 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 chillout 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 Contents: Theatre by the Lake The play Swallows & Amazons The story

2 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.

3 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.

4 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.

5 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.

6 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

7 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.

8 What will the play look like? This is the stage and set: The play is set in the Lake District in 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!

9 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.

10 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

11 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

12 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.

13 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 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.

14 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.

15 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

16 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