''Tusitala'' is a 1986 three-part mini series for television based on the last years in the life of

Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll ...

, when he left Great Britain for

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

and west

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa and known until 1997 as Western Samoa, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania, in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu), two smaller, inhabited ...

Samoa Connection

In the Samoan language ''Tusitala'' means writer of stories and it is there that Robert Louis Stevenson spent his last four years. He was buried there at

Mount Vaea Mount Vaea is a 472 metre (1549') summit overlooking Apia, the capital of Samoa located on the north central coast of Upolu island. The mountain is situated south about 3 km (2 miles) inland from Apia township and harbour. The settlemen ...

Cast

John McEnery John Murray McEnery (1 November 1943 – 12 April 2019) was an English actor. Early life Born in Walsall, England, McEnery was the third son of Charles and Mary McEnery (nee Brinson). McEnery's father owned a pickle factory, however whe ...

Angela Punch McGregor Angela Punch McGregor (born 21 January 1953) is an Australian stage and film actress. Early life Punch McGregor fell in love with theatre, while acting in school plays from the age of 13. Her first role was as the 'Spoon' in '' The Owl and the ...

Fanny Stevenson Frances Matilda Van de Grift Osbourne Stevenson (10 March 1840 – 18 February 1914) was an American magazine writer. She became a supporter and later the wife of Robert Louis Stevenson, and the mother of Isobel Osbourne, Samuel Lloyd Osbourne, ...

*Kirk Alexander as Henley *

Dorothy Alison Dorothy Alison (4 April 1925 – 17 January 1992) was an Australian stage, film and television actress. Biography Dorothy Alison was born in the New South Wales mining city of Broken Hill and educated at Sydney Girls High School. She moved ...

as Maggie *

Norman Kaye Norman James Kaye (17 January 1927 – 28 May 2007) was an Australian actor. He was best known for his roles in the films of director Paul Cox. Early life and education Kaye was born into a tough childhood in Depression Era Melbourne, as one ...

as Rev. Clarke * Lynn Dalby as Almelia Clarke *

Joseph Fürst Joseph Fürst (13 February 1916 – 29 November 2005) was an Austrian-born international film and television actor known for his English language roles in Britain and Australia, after first appearing on the Canadian stage. Career Fürst was ...

as Von Pilsarch *

John Hamblin John Reginald Hamblin (18 March 1935 – 21 September 2022), known affectionately as "Funny John" or "Naughty John", was a British-born Australian children's television presenter and actor of stage and screen who appeared in theatre productions ...

as Dr. Eisler *

Olivia Hamnett Olivia Jane Hamnett (13 February 1943 - 2 November 2001) was an English actress known for numerous Television in Australia, television roles in Australia, primarily in soap operas and miniseries. including ''The Sullivans'' as Meg Fulton in 197 ...

as Lady Jersey *

Julie Nihill Julie Nihill (born 1957 in Melbourne) is an Australian actress, voice artist, narrator, producer and writer, best known for her 12-year role as Chris Riley on the police drama ''Blue Heelers'' (1994–2006). Early life Nihill was drawn to ac ...

as Belle Strong

Production

There had been plans to film this in the 1960s by

Cinesound Productions Cinesound Productions Pty Ltd was an Australian feature film production company. Established in June 1931, Cinesound developed out of a group of companies centred on Greater Union, Greater Union Theatres that covered all facets of the film proc ...

. In 1983 producer Ray Alchin announced Ted Roberts would be the writer. The ABC deliberately aimed at an international co production. "We're branching out with an international figure," said Alchin. The budget was $5 million.Ed. Scott Murray, ''Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995'', Oxford University Press, 1996 p245 Filming started June 1985 by which stage the writer had become Peter Yeldham. It was the only production

Don Sharp Donald Herman Sharp (19 April 192114 December 2011) was an Australian film director. His best known films were made for Hammer Film Productions, Hammer in the 1960s, and included ''Kiss of the Vampire (film), Kiss of the Vampire'' (1963) and ' ...

ever directed in his native Australia.

References

External links

*
''Tusitala''
at

AustLit AustLit: The Australian Literature Resource (also known as AustLit: Australian Literature Gateway; and AustLit: The Resource for Australian Literature) is a national bio-bibliographical database of Australian literature. It is an internet-based, ...

1986 British television series debuts 1986 British television series endings 1980s British drama television series Channel 4 television dramas Channel 4 miniseries 1980s British television miniseries Films directed by Don Sharp Australian Broadcasting Corporation original programming 1980s Australian television miniseries British English-language television shows Television shows set in Scotland Films shot in Edinburgh Television shows set in New South Wales Works by Peter Yeldham {{Australia-tv-prog-stub