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Story: Plays and playwrights

Tusitala and the house of spirits, 1996

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<em>Tusitala and the house of spirits</em>, 1996

Tusitala and the house of spirits was written by Paul Simei-Barton and directed by his wife, Justine Simei-Barton. A dreamlike and often hilarious story of English writer Robert Louis Stevenson's involvement in Samoan politics, it premiered at the Wellington theatre Taki Rua in 1996. This is the poster from that production, showing the cast members, with Sylvia Rands at left and Martyn Sanderson (as Stevenson) at right.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: Eph-D-TAKI-RUA-1996-05

Courtesy of Taki Rua Productions

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Murray Edmond, Plays and playwrights – Māori and Pacific theatre, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/ephemera/43962/tusitala-and-the-house-of-spirits-1996 (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Murray Edmond, published 16 January 2014.