The critically acclaimed stage adaptation of Swallows And Amazons, which wowed crowds at the Bristol Old Vic in 2010, is to come to London’s Vaudeville theatre for a Christmas season.
The musical play, based on the classic children’s novel by Arthur Ransome, will play in London from 15 December to 14 January.
The music for the tale of childhood adventure is provided by Neil Hannon, who is best known for his work with Irish band The Divine Comedy.
Swallows And Amazons, which is aimed at an audience aged six and older, harks back to an idyllic era of endless summer evenings, following the school holiday exploits of the Walker and Blackett children. Audiences join Captain John and his able crew as they set sail to Wildcat Island on an exotic adventure to encounter savages, capture dastardly pirates and defeat mortal enemies.
The show, which was developed at the National Theatre Studio, is presented in the West End by the National Theatre and the Children’s Touring Partnership. It reunites two of the team that worked so successfully on the National’s multi-award-winning family production, War Horse; director Tom Morris and Director of Movement Toby Sedgwick, who won the Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreography for his work on the First World War-set tale.
Prior to the opening of Swallows And Amazons, the Vaudeville theatre hosts summer seasons of the acrobatically entertaining The Flying Karamazov Brothers and another children’s classic brought to the stage, The Tiger Who Came To Tea. These are followed by an autumn run of Arthur Miller’s Broken Glass, which stars Sir Antony Sher and Tara Fitzgerald.
MA