Treasure Island

Treasure Island [1] (published in 1883) is a popular adventure novel by Robert Louis Stevenson [2]. Besides many film versions, there have been over 24 major stage and radio adaptations, while the number of minor adaptations remains countless.

The original text

Translations and adaptations

An adaptation by James Barnard Fagan, first produced at the Strand Theatre, London in 1922. Published by Cassell and Company Limited, 1936.

1987 adaptation by Martin Clohessy.

Performance history in South Africa

1927: The Fagan adaptation presented by the Strand Theatre Company at His Majesty's Theatre, Johannesburg (March/April), Opera House, Cape Town (May) and Theatre Royal, Durban (June). Directed by Arthur Bourchier.

1950: Dramatized and produced by Harold Laite for a production by the Repertory Theatre Society, later known as the Cape Town Repertory Theatre Society, performed 13 to 23 December 1950.

1953: Produced by The Children's Theatre, directed by Colin Romoff at the Wits Great Hall, starring Felix Cooper as Long John Silver and Ann Peters.

1964: Staged by The Children's Theatre at the Zoo Lake as part of The Johannesburg Festival, devised and directed by Robert Langford, with James White (Jim Hawkins), Kevin Basel (Black Dog), Michael Fisher (Capt. Billy Bones), Francesco (Blind Pew & Benn Gunn), Peter de Marney (O'Brien), Louis Ife (George Merry), Jimmy Mentis (Squire John), Brian O'Shaughnessy (Dr Livesay), Kevin Lee (Thomas Redruth), John Hayter (Long John Silver), Ronnie Grainge (Thomas Morgan), Dale Cutts (Capt. Alexander Smollett), Stan Cunningham (Dick Johnson), Jon Whiteley (Israel Hands) and Michael Fisher (Anderson).

1987: Adaptation by Martin Clohessy presented by Just Us Company in the Nico Malan Theatre Foyer, directed by Cindy Just.

Sources

NELM: [Collection: FLETCHER, Jill]: 2005. 75. 19. 61 (1950 production).

The Children's Theatre programme, 1964.

Greyvenstein, Walter 1988. The history and development of children's theatre in English in South Africa. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Johannesburg: Rand Afrikaans University.

Go to ESAT Bibliography