Swallows and Amazons
Reviews

Before sitting down in the theatre, all I knew about ‘Swallows and Amazons’ is that it was a children’s book, written in the 1900s. After about ten minutes, I had no idea if what I was watching was a comedy, a children’s play or pantomime. It clearly had aspects of all three, and had most of the audience captivated, in stitches of laughter and joining in throughout.

The audience was very clearly split- half were families with young children, and half were the older generation, who remembered the book from their own childhood. It is a tale which captivates the imagination and spirit of childhood games and summer holidays perfectly- I’m sure most people have played games like the children of the story at some point or other. The fact that the ‘children’ are really played by adults, makes the entire play more entertaining- especially the character of Roger, and his determination to swim. The play made everyone act like children, booing and shouting and laughing along, personally I’m just disappointed I didn’t get to throw any ‘rocks’ at Captain Flint...

Possibly the most amazing aspect was the fact it is a musical, which makes it so different from just reading the books. The singers were all fantastic, and the fact the music is all performed on stage by stage hands shows how talented the cast really is. Speaking of which, it’s worth seeing just for the stage hands! They may not be a big role in typical plays, but they are very central in this one, and extremely funny.

All in all, I would really recommend this play to anyone- of any and all ages. The characters are relatable, and the actors portraying them fantastic, the songs are catchy and I can guarantee you’ll leave wanting to see it again. I know I do!