Refuge manager Sandra is the anchor that holds everything together for each woman who arrives at her refuge seeking solace from domestic violence; but with each passing day the pressures of a fractured and crumbling system becomes too much to bear. Sue, Jess and Yalina find themselves living side by side in an unfamiliar temporary world where nothing is certain except the need to be safe. By navigating the messy and tender moments together, they discover that in order to become the authors of their own futures they must first let go of their pasts.

Inside the refuge moments oscillate continuously; they can be painful yet tender, funny and messy, bleak, gentle and hopeful – here is an unfamiliar world where nothing is certain except the need to be safe. 

WRITER’S STATEMENT: 

Refuge is inspired by my time spent working inside a women’s refuge as a Family Support worker at the charity Solace Women’s Aid, and was written as a testament to the power, resilience and hope of all the women I encountered living and working there.My intention was to write a play that reveals, provokes and shines a light into the hidden world, and to give insight into all the ways that life can unfold inside a refuge. I want audiences to leave reflecting, and for conversations and thoughts to continue spreading awareness in the real world. Every woman has her own story, and like thousands of others, it is invisible to the outside world. I am interested in how each woman comes alive; how she becomes the author of her own story.’

Note – Adult themes. Age guidance – 16+.