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*Tusitala*
Tusitala
Genre	Drama
Written by	Peter Yeldham
Directed by	Don Sharp
Starring	John McEnery; Angela Punch McGregor
Country of origin	Australia; United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	6
Production
Producer	Ray Alchin
Production locations	Australia; West Samoa
Production company	Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Original release
Network	ABC
Release	15 June –; 17 June 1986
Network	Channel 4
Release	22 July –; 24 July 1986

Tusitala is a 1986 three-part mini series for television based on the last years in the life of Robert Louis Stevenson, when he left Great Britain for Sydney and west Samoa.^[1]^[2]

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.^[3]

Cast

John McEnery as Robert Louis Stevenson
Angela Punch McGregor
Kirk Alexander as Henley
Dorothy Alison as Maggie
Norman Kaye as Rev. Clarke
Lynn Dalby as Almelia Clarke
Joseph Fürst as Von Pilsarch
John Hamblin as Dr. Eisler
Olivia Hamnett as Lady Jersey
Julie Nihill as Belle Strong

Production

There had been plans to film this in the 1960s by Cinesound Productions.^[4]

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.^[5]

The budget was $5 million.^[6]

Filming started June 1985 by which stage the writer had become Peter Yeldham.^[7] It was the only production Don Sharp ever directed in his native Australia.^[8]

References

^ "Tusitala-"the Teller of Tales": Part 3". explore.bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on 4 August 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
^ "Aunty dares to be scandalous". The Canberra Times. Vol. 60, no. 18, 352. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 30 December 1985. p. 17. Retrieved 24 July 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "Tusitala (1986)". nway101.com. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
^ Pike, Andrew Franklin. "The History of an Australian Film Production Company: Cinesound, 1932-70" (PDF). Australian National University. p. 216.
^ "Another Big Budget ABC Series". Sydney Morning herald. 15 May 1983. p. 59.
^ Ed. Scott Murray, Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995, Oxford University Press, 1996 p245
^ "Million Dollar Myth". Sydney Morning Herald. 10 March 1985. p. 59.
^ Vagg, Stephen (27 July 2019). "Unsung Aussie Filmmakers: Don Sharp – A Top 25". Filmink.