The Pack of Women (1986)

Directed by

Ted Robinson

Country

Australia

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

This 1986 Australian TV special adapts a cabaret from the early 1980s. It uses songs and comedy to look at the role of women in Western society and the rules of sexual politics.

funnyentertainingshockingprovocativestageysatiricalbluntperiod-piece

What happens

The Pack of Women was a cabaret devised by Australian performer and director Robyn Archer, first performed in London in 1981. Although funny and entertaining, the work also set out to shock audiences into examining the role of women in Western society. The title is a metaphor for the game of life played according to rules in which sexual politics were critical. In 1983, it was produced by Understudies (Sue Hill & Chris Westwood), directed by Archer and designed by Roger Kirk. It played seasons in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Canberra with a cast consisting of Jane Clifton, Judi Connelli and Michele Fawdon. The Pack of Women was subsequently made into a 1986 television special for the ABC featuring Archer, Connelli, Tracy Harvey, Jo Kennedy and Meryl Tankard. Described as "perhaps the most daring and unashamedly radical thing to happen to Aunty in a long time", it contained the first use of the word cunt on Australian television. The soundtrack won the inaugural ARIA Award for Best Original Soundtrack or Cast Album. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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