Charlie Chaplin was British and kept British citizenship all his life, even though he spent most of his adult life in America.
He was born in Kennington, London on the 16th April 1889 and lived there until he was 21. He was born into and spent his early years in great poverty in (at the time) one of the poorest areas of London. As a teenager he joined a performing group in nearby Brixton and during a tour of the U.S was spotted performing by a scout for Sennett Studios, they signed him up and the rest is history! He went on to star in 81 films mainly during the silent era and playing his 'Little Tramp' character in 76 of them.
His life is a classic rags to riches story and in his films he was heavily influenced by his poor upbringing. I will guide you round the streets visiting various places that influenced him, the houses where he lived as a child and describing the conditions of the area in late Victorian London. I will tell you the story of his relationships with his mentally ill mother, alcoholic father and the close bond he had with his half-brother Sydney. Plus, I will also talk about his stage understudy who also went onto become a world-famous movie comedian.
I will finish the walk showing you the place where he learnt his famous comedy walk!

Come and hear his amazing story!

• Public walking tour of London