Setting sail for
Adventure
PhotoS : © STUDIOCANAL , © shutterstock
Summer ! Sailing ! Suspense ! As Swallows and Amazons docks in cinemas , we climb aboard with the cast and crew
A rthur Ransome ’ s Swallows and Amazons is a bona fide literary classic . First published in 1930 , it follows the daring adventures of the Walker children ( John , Susan , Tatty and Roger ), as they battle then befriend Nancy and Peggy Blackett , while summering ( and sailing ) in the spectacular Lake District .
A beautifully produced adaptation of this beloved tale hits the big screen this August , courtesy of BBC Films , Harbour Pictures Productions and the BFI . Here , producer Nick Barton , director Philippa Lowthorpe , writer Andrea Gibb and star Rafe Spall , who plays the enigmatic Jim Turner / Captain Flint , reveal what we can expect from this eagerly anticipated film .
What inspired you to adapt the book ? nick barton : I always thought what fun it would be to camp on an island and have an adventure of my own . Then [ in 1992 ] I started sailing every weekend of the season on the coast in Norfolk ... Big waves , challenging conditions . It became , as I believe it does for all those who sail , a whole new dimension to life . [ And each time I sailed ] I thought : “ I ’ ve got to do it . I ’ ve got to find a way of making this film .”
More than 800 youngsters auditioned for the roles of the Blackett and Walker children . What qualities were you looking for ? nick barton : We wanted the children to be as natural as possible . We were all agreed on that . We also had to determine which ones could be believable on boats . Philippa Lowthorpe : It was also very important that all the families looked like families . In the end , as you shuffle people around , this family emerged , the Walker family , with these four children , and the sisters of the Amazons as well .
How tough were the sailing scenes to shoot ? Philippa Lowthorpe : We did have some near catastrophes in our camera boat . We ’ d be so intent on filming that we wouldn ’ t see a big wave coming towards us , and often we would be seen