Broken Places
Directed by Cheryl Stock for Dance North in collaboration with Robyn Archer, choreographed by Cheryl Stock in collaboration with the dancers, music by Robyn Archer, design by Ben Anderson. Premiered Townsville, 1993 and performed at 1994 National Festival of Australian Theatre, Canberra.
A brutally honest portrayal of violence against women, the abuse of power, the silent screams and the living nightmare of those whose reality is hidden from a society which prefers to keep its victims invisible. How can we support such women to become strong at the ‘broken places’?
Broken Places pulls no punches either literally or metaphorically – not for the faint hearted.
Larry Ruffell, The Canberra Times, 22 October 1994
Watching the bare truth of Broken Places is an uncomfortable experience... but that’s the point.
Colin Campbell, The Courier Mail, 15 May 1993
The most powerful political statement is contained in Broken Places. Choreographed by Cheryl Stock with songs by Robyn Archer, this piece is about violence and the abuses of power. Although there are recurring images of violence by men against women, the work avoids a simplistic treatment of this issue... the work concludes with the positive image of a woman triumphantly taking charge of her life.
Gabrielle Hyslop, The Australian, 21 October 1994