Robyn Archer and The Pack of Women

Overview

It has been almost 40 years since the ABC broadcast The Pack of Women, the television version of Robyn Archer's ground-breaking cabaret of the same name, which premiered in London's Drill Hall and then toured Australia in a Belvoir Street production with an all-Australian cast.

This special event will include an exclusive screening of the hour-long TV show produced by Archer and Di Manson, which focuses on women's issues of the time, and features eye-popping performances by a brilliant all-star cast including Robyn Archer, Meryl Tankard, Judi Connelli, Tracy Harvey and Jo Kennedy. The show features Archer's iconic Menstruation Blues, initially released on her ground-breaking 1977 album, Take Your Partners for the Ladies' Choice — the first Australian record produced by women (Robyn Archer and Diana Manson) which was inducted into the NFSA's Sounds of Australia registry in 2023.

The screening will be followed by a discussion and live performance featuring Robyn Archer and accordionist George Butrumlis. The show will explore the changes that have occurred since the recording was made and discuss how we might approach similar issues in today's context.

The Pack of Women
1986 | M |63mins | DCP | AUS | D: Ted Robinson
Television special of the cabaret The Pack of Women made for ABC, including songs, prose and poetry that celebrates women.