Cirrus@Austlit

'Tale of the wanderings of a Sydney husband who takes to the road with five-year-old daughter after finding his neglected wife living with another man.'

Source: British Film Institute (http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/50475). (Sighted: 7/4/2014)

This 1988 mini-series is based on the novel by D'Arcy Niland, and follows the successful 1957 feature film adaptation, starring Peter Finch (made by Ealing Studios, but filmed in Australia).

The narrative follows Macauley, who tramps through outback Australia looking for work. At first, he's content to leave his daughter Buster with her mother in the city, but when he discovers his wife's infidelity, he takes Buster with him (as the 'shiralee' or 'burden' of the title). As the taciturn Macauley tries to bend Buster to his ways, Buster slowly softens her father's often brutal nature.

Moran notes, in his Guide to Australian TV Series, 'the series was the hit of 1989. It had excellent ratings of 38 nationally and peaked in Adelaide at 45. On BBC2 it had an audience of fourteen million over two nights.'

'A love song to the open road 

'Bathed in the golden light of an outback sunset, this epic Australian classic comes to the stage for the first time, adapted by Kate Mulvany – the renowned actor and playwright behind The Harp in the South: Part One and Part Two and Playing Beatie Bow. The Shiralee combines a ranging and poetic story of life and love on the margins with a spectacular cast featuring Mulvany herself (appearing onstage at STC for the first time in sixteen years), Josh McConville (Death of a Salesman), Aaron Pedersen (The Visitors) and Ziggy Resnick, making their STC debut in the iconic role of Buster. 

'Macauley (McConville) is a rugged swagman who roams the highways and byways of mid-century Australia, taking on odd jobs to survive. Buster is Macauley’s young daughter, living with her separated mother Marge (Mulvany), in a neglectful home in Sydney. When Macauley discovers Buster’s circumstances he takes her on the road with him, despite his hesitations around fatherhood. Over the course of their travels, Macauley begins to develop a deep connection with his daughter, and Buster soon discovers her voice in a strange and vast new world. 

'Hot on the heels of the national sensation The Dictionary of Lost Words, director Jessica Arthur returns to the Company with this glorious new play about a father-daughter bond that blooms in a harsh and unforgiving world. 

'As Buster’s innocence, resilience, and grit gradually soften Macauley’s heart, audiences will be swept away into a story as rich and beautiful as the outback landscape.'

Source: Production blurb.