Swallows and Armenians – an Actor Musician Production. Based on the book by Karen Babayan (2019)

Adapted for the stage by Karen Babayan and Persia Babayan-Taylor.

Swallows and Armenians is a fascinating story of friendship and family, love and jealousy, with a good measure of sailing thrown in!
Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons is a classic book about children having adventures on a lake. The Walker family have always been depicted as quintessentially English but what is not widely known is that Ransome modelled his characters on an Anglo-Armenian family from Aleppo, Syria.

This joyous actor-musician production delves into the fascinating but often fractured relationship between the author and the Altounyan family. Swallows and Armenians champions and reinstates the cultural diversity of the children who inspired the British author to write this iconic book for children.

Although a work of fiction, this production has been extensively researched using letters and diary entries from the Arthur Ransome Archive, University of Leeds Special Collections; letters from the collection of Roger Wardale, now in The Arthur Ransome Society (TARS) archives; other publications and testimonies by Altounyan and Guzelian family members.

We have worked hard to appoint a culturally appropriate cast of young actor-musicians whose families mirror the richly mixed heritage and displacement history of the Altounyans; our Arthur Ransome is also, appropriately, a Yorkshireman.

CAST:
Titty – Heather Gorniak
Arthur Ransome – David Haller
Susie/Anoush/Pauline – Anoush Kendrick
Ernest Altounyan – Henry Avedian
Dora/Taqui/Ada – Eleanor Turiansky
Roger/Georgie/Bedouin – Mikey Tsoukkas

CREATIVE TEAM:
Writer & Producer – Karen Babayan
Director & Composer – Persia Babayan-Taylor
Musical Director & Score Arrangement – Madeleine Wilshire
Co-Producer & Stage Manager – Ruth Silver
Dance Artist & Choreographer – Shakeh Major Tchilingirian
Costume Supervisor – Megan Bowyer

Director’s Note:
When I was originally approached to collaborate in the creation of Swallows and Armenians, I, like many who come across it, was naive to the significance of this astonishing story and unaware of how the journey of the Altounyans mirrored my own family history – across the Middle East all the way to the Lake District and back again. War, climate change and political upheaval in our time has contributed to so many families experiencing migration, displacement, subsequent struggles to survive and to find a place to belong. This play represents that resilience, courage and diversity that stretches across the world and right back to our own doorsteps, reflecting all of us.

It quickly became clear how important it was to stage this story, and we will be forever grateful to the children of the ‘Swallows’, the Guzelian and Altounyan family themselves, for sharing their stories, and trusting us to carry them.

It has also been a pleasure to work with our cast and team of creatives, who have so thoughtfully brought our production to life. It has been exceedingly special to learn about their own journeys, their family histories, and how much this story means to them.

It is an honour to watch Swallows and Armenians ‘fly the nest’ again, reaching new audiences, hearts and minds.
Persia Babayan-Taylor

Swallows and Armenians – The Play by Karen Babayan & Persia Babayan-Taylor (the theatre script, glossary and historical notes), published by The Wild Pansy Press, is available to purchase now on Amazon.

This film is suitable for all ages, from 8-108yrs!

Funded by The National Lottery through Arts Council England.

Viewing this film is free but in the spirit of the production, you may wish to make a contribution to a charity of your choice that supports communities who have been displaced and are fleeing from war and persecution. Here are a few suggestions:

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