STEVENSON IN LOVE
Author Mike Harris based these two 45 minute plays on the classic travelogues, journals and personal letters of Robert Louis Stevenson.
The stories attempt to capture Stevenson's feelings for Fanny Osbourne, who would later become his wife, and how they affected him on his travels.
The trek through France took place when he was largely unknown and broke, still dependent on his parents for money.
The two programmes were directed and produced by Clive Brill as a Pacificus Production for the BBC.
Clive Brill, who spent seven years producing drama for BBC radio and in 1990 he became head of Development for BBC TV Series.
He formed Pacificus Productions and took on the "Shakespearean" task in 1996 of directing the entire Arkangel Shakespeare Series, in which David appears in nine plays.
He has directed David in several radio dramas including The Order of Release, The Island, Murder in Samarkand, The Purple Land and in the staged reading of Edward III at The Globe.
The Book of the Week readings of Robert Louis Stevenson's biography, the 2010 and 2011 Book at Bedtime series Night of the Vampire and Night of the Vampire 2, and the play A Quick Change which all feature David, were all Pacificus Productions with Clive as the producer.
In 2012 they collaborated once again on Richard Wilson's Radio 4 series Believe It!.
TRAVELS WITH A DONKEY IN THE CEVENNES
Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes was originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4 as part of the Afternoon Play series on October 26, 2011 at 2:15 pm. (actual runtime 43:50)
Stevenson sets off on a 12 day, 120 mile journey, with a donkey called Modestine, across the Cevennes in France and in the process keeps a journal that later becomes his popular travelogue "Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes."
But does his journeying help him to forget the woman he has met and fallen in love with - Fanny Osbourne?
Fanny's husband had been unfaithful to her throughout their union and she was in Europe with her children without him in 1876, when she first met Robert.
In 1878 Fanny decided that she had to return to America and to her husband, which prompts Stevenson to set off on the trek.
The story is also one of the first times that hiking and camping is shown as a leisure activity.
TRAVELS WITH A DONKEY IN THE CEVENNES CAST
TRAVELS WITH A DONKEY IN THE CEVENNES CAST
David Tennant - Robert Louis Stevenson
Lizzy McnInerny* - Fanny
Matthew Marsh - Peasant, Monk
Forbes Masson** - Bob,Groom, 2nd Peasant
Nigel Cooke - Saddler, Auberge Owner, RLS Father
Jane Slavin - Auberge Owner's Wife
Lottie Rice - Belle
Bethane Cullinane - The Girl
Ned Leadbeater - Lloyd
*appears in radio play The Purple Land
**appears in the pilot The Brown Man with David.
THE AMATEUR EMIGRANT
The full title of the story is The Amateur Emigrant from the Clyde to Sandy Hook and chronicles Stevenson's journey from Scotland to California from 1879 - 1800.
Robert finds out that Fanny's divorce will soon be final but she is quite ill so he sets off for California to be with her.
He takes a steamer and then a train to reach his destination and traveled among the "lower classes".
The full version of his documented travels were not published until after his death and the fact that a person of "upper class" would mix with people beneath their station was shocking to most of his Victorian peers.
CAST
Lizzy McInnerny* - Fanny
Matthew Marsh - Sam
Forbes Masson** - Bob, the Telegraph Man
Nigel Cooke - RLS Father, Joshua
Jane Slavin - Milk Woman
Lottie Rice - Belle
Danny Webb - Nose in a Book, Schoffelheimer
Chinna Wodu - NY Conductor, Chicago Telegraph Man, Ogden Conductor
*appears in radio play The Purple Land
**appears in the pilot The Brown Man with David.