The Beach of Falesa
4 Extra Debut. Newly arrived on a Samoan Island, a trader marries a native girl and is tabooed by the other inhabitants. Stars David Tennant.
David Tennant stars as Wiltshire, a trader freshly arrived on a Samoan Island. He marries a native girl, only to find himself tabooed by the rest of the inhabitants.
The first of two dramatisations of Robert Louis Stevenson's gripping novellas set in Samoa and written while he lived there.
At the height of his powers, Stevenson tackled the most pressing theme on the islands - the vicious effects of colonialism including slavery, racism, sexual exploitation and the conflict between traditional and modern values. The subjects are as vivid today as in 1894 and these compelling and violent stories feature some of the most driven, dangerous and obsessive characters in fiction. Joseph Conrad drew on these novellas for Heart of Darkness.
Wiltshire - David Tennant
Uma - Adjoa Andoh
Case - Dan Mullane
Captain Randal and The Sea Captain - Nigel Cooke
Tarleton and Galuchet - Theo Fraser-Steele
Dramatised by Jane Rogers
Director: Clive Brill
A Brill production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in December 2016.
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Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Wiltshire | David Tennant |
| Uma | Adjoa Andoh |
| Case | Dan Mullane |
| Captain Randal | Nigel Cooke |
| The Sea Captain | Nigel Cooke |
| Tarleton | Theo Fraser-Steele |
| Galuchet | Theo Fraser-Steele |
| Director | Clive Brill |
| Producer | Clive Brill |
| Author | Robert Louis Stevenson |
| Adaptor | Jane Rogers |
Broadcasts
Sun 4 Dec 201615:00BBC Radio 4- Sat 10 Dec 201621:00BBC Radio 4
- Thu 5 Dec 201910:00BBC Radio 4 Extra
- Thu 5 Dec 201915:00BBC Radio 4 Extra
- Fri 6 Dec 201903:00BBC Radio 4 Extra
Opening Lines
John Yorke unpacks the themes behind the stories in Radio 4's weekend afternoon dramas.
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