Behind Closed Doors - a play by Janet Shaw about domestic violence. Set in 1969, when physical and mental abuse was a fact of life to many women, this play is about domestic violence inside marriage – a subject still. Publish for Free. Drama; ; 30 - 45 minutes; 5 either (5-32 actors possible: 0-32 f, 0-32 m). Read For FREE Add Script(s) to Cart License Performances Scripts & Performances. In Galveston, Texas, a family is brought together for the first time in years on the.
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I have spent time with many women who killed their abusers and many more who continue to live with the daily horror of sexual and domestic violence. Having advised scriptwriters on TV dramas on the topic I have often been disappointed at the crude portrayal of this extremely complex issue.
Criminal Justice 2, however, a five-part thriller scripted by Peter Moffatt, which starts tonight on BBC1, is the best depiction of domestic abuse I have seen. Protagonist Maxine Peake's character Juliet suffers the type of abuse that is often invisible. Her husband – a respected and handsome criminal barrister – controls just about every aspect of her life. While it would be possible to look upon his behaviour as 'caring', those who understand domestic violence know only too well that men who keep tabs on their partner every minute of the day do so in order to exercise power.
The women whose stories I have heard while they are stuck in prison facing a charge of murder often refuse to disclose rape as the final act of provocation, even though they are looking at a life sentence if they don't explain their actions. Not only is the stigma too great but most professionals in the criminal justice system have no idea how to ask the questions about this last taboo.
Sophie Okonedo's character, Jack, the solicitor assigned to Juliet's case, is a joy to behold. Feisty, feminist and fearless, she clocks immediately that her client is keeping something from her and guesses it is serious abuse. The way she encourages and enables her to disclose that abuse should be a lesson to us all. We let down the women for whom sexual violence is an integral part of their domestic violence experience when we do not engage with the more difficult aspects of their stories. The posters and films used by some domestic violence charities showing a battered face, or a woman being kicked by a grimacing monster often result in the victims disengaging from the message.
Watch this series. It is the closest thing to the truth about domestic violence, and a truth we need to accept lest we ignore those women suffering in silence with no outward signs of the hell in which they live.