Act Of Will (ITV Drama, Elizabeth Hurley, Victoria Tennant)

Period ITV drama serial Act of Will follows orphan girl Audra (Victoria Tennant) in the 1920′s as she grows up and makes something of herself. She goes into nursing but then makes the mistake of marrying bad lad Vincent Crowther but finds real love in the shape of her daughter Christina (Elizabeth Hurley). When Christina grows up she moves into the fashion industry and begins an affair with married politician Miles Sutherland (Peter Coyote) but later moves to New York and finds true love with Alex Newman (Stuart Milligan).

One of the hugely popular Taylor Bradford adaptations that were all the rage in the 1980′s. Featuring a young and beautiful Elizabeth Hurley before she became locked into the Hollywood game. Act of Will is supposedly Taylor’s Bradfords most personal book carrying lots of echoes of her own life.

Rebecca Callard was actually billed as Rebecca Sowden in the credits.

Cast: ELIZABETH HURLEY as Christina; VICTORIA TENNANT as Audra; PETER COYOTE as Miles Sutherland; KEVIN McNALLY as Vincent Crowther; JEAN MARSH as Eliza Crowther; LYNSEY BAXTER as Jane Sedgewick; REBECCA CALLARD as Maggie Crowther; SERENA GORDON as Gwen; SARAH WINMAN as Kyle; JUDY PARFITT as Alicia Drummond; SIMON MERRICK as Percival Drummond; RACHEL ROBERTSON as Audra Aged 14; JEREMY GILLEY as Frederick; JASON SAVAGE as William; ROGER GRAINGER as Vicar at Funeral; SHEILA ALLEN as Dulcie Sedgewick; JULIAN GARTSIDE as Dr Freemantle; EWAN HOOPER as Alfred Crowther; MARY JO RANDLE as Sister Rogers; CLIFFORD ROSE as Hospital Specialist; STELLA TANNER as Landlady; JOHN BASHAM as Frank Crowther; CHRISTINE COX as Sister; GODFREY JACKMAN as Fred Varley; KEN JONES as Dr Stalkey; STUART MILLIGAN as Alex; RICHARD BEBB as Ralph Sedgewick; PATRICK CONNOLLY as Danny Crowther; JO GABB as Christina (aged 15); CARL PROCTOR as Charlie Thornton; JOSEPH WRIGHT as Jack Crowther

Writer: Jill Hyem / Novel: Barbara Taylor Bradford / Music: Barrie Guard / Production Design: Harry Pottle / Costumes: Emma Porteus / Producers: Ian Warren, Victor Glynn / Executive Producer: Tom Donald / Director: Don Sharp

UK / ITV Network – Tyne Tees – Portman / 4×60 minutue episodes / Broadcast 15 September – 6 October 1989