Swallows and Armenians – Chelsea Theatre
The truth behind a British children’s classic is revealed with the premiere of Swallows and Armenians at the Chelsea Theatre.
Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons, set in the Lake District, was an instant success when published in 1930. However, the truth behind the inspiration for the story has been suppressed until now.
The actor-musician production by Karen Babayan is based on her book Swallows and Armenians, which she wrote after extensive research. An Anglo-Arminian, Babayan discovered the central characters in the book, a quintessential English family, the Walkers, were based on an Arminian family, called Altounyan. Close friends of Ransome, the family spent the summer of 1929 in Coniston with the author, sailing two boats on the lake.
This new production tells the story of...