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Stolen by Jane Harrison
Stolen is a play by Australian playwright Jane Harrison. It is based upon the lives of five indigenous people who dealt with the issues for forceful removal by the Australian government.
Stolen tells the story of five Aboriginal children, who go by the names of Sandy, Ruby, Jimmy, Anne, and Shirley.
Sandy has spent his entire life on the run, never having a set home to live in. Stolen tracks his quest for a place to be, a place where he doesn’t have keep hiding from the government (even though they are no longer after him), and a place he can call home.
Ruby was forced to work as a domestic from a young age, and was driven insane by the abuse of her white masters. In the latter part of the play, she spends a lot of her time mumbling to herself, whilst her family desperately try to help her.
Jimmy was separated from his mother at a very young age, and she spent her entire life looking for him. He spent a lot of time in prison, and on the day he finally got out, he was told about his mother’s search. As he went to meet her, she died, and he committed suicide in anger. Jimmy thought his mother was dead because everytime she writes him a letter the nuns take it and put it in the cabinet.
Anne was removed from her family and placed in a Caucasian family’s home. She was materially happy in this home, a lot happier than many of the other characters, but when her indigenous family tried to meet her, she was caught in crossfire between her two “families”.
Shirley was removed from her parents, and had her children removed from her. She only felt relief, safety, and comfort when her granddaughter was born, and not removed.
Stolen toured extensively throughout Australia. On top of its seven years in Melbourne (starting in 1998), it was also performed in Sydney, Adelaide, regional Victoria, Tasmania, the UK, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. Furthermore, readings were performed in Canada and New York.
Stolen won (along with Aliwa! by Dallas Wimmar) the Kate Challis RAKA award in 1998, on the back of largely successful first season[2][3]
Stolen was studied on the Victorian Certificate of Education English syllabus, and the New South Wales Higher School Certificate syllabus. Many other schools throughout Australia have also placed Stolen on their English curriculum
Stolen tells the story of five Aboriginal children, who go by the names of Sandy, Ruby, Jimmy, Anne, and Shirley.
Sandy has spent his entire life on the run, never having a set home to live in. Stolen tracks his quest for a place to be, a place where he doesn’t have keep hiding from the government (even though they are no longer after him), and a place he can call home.
Ruby was forced to work as a domestic from a young age, and was driven insane by the abuse of her white masters. In the latter part of the play, she spends a lot of her time mumbling to herself, whilst her family desperately try to help her.
Jimmy was separated from his mother at a very young age, and she spent her entire life looking for him. He spent a lot of time in prison, and on the day he finally got out, he was told about his mother’s search. As he went to meet her, she died, and he committed suicide in anger. Jimmy thought his mother was dead because everytime she writes him a letter the nuns take it and put it in the cabinet.
Anne was removed from her family and placed in a Caucasian family’s home. She was materially happy in this home, a lot happier than many of the other characters, but when her indigenous family tried to meet her, she was caught in crossfire between her two “families”.
Shirley was removed from her parents, and had her children removed from her. She only felt relief, safety, and comfort when her granddaughter was born, and not removed.
Stolen toured extensively throughout Australia. On top of its seven years in Melbourne (starting in 1998), it was also performed in Sydney, Adelaide, regional Victoria, Tasmania, the UK, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. Furthermore, readings were performed in Canada and New York.
Stolen won (along with Aliwa! by Dallas Wimmar) the Kate Challis RAKA award in 1998, on the back of largely successful first season[2][3]
Stolen was studied on the Victorian Certificate of Education English syllabus, and the New South Wales Higher School Certificate syllabus. Many other schools throughout Australia have also placed Stolen on their English curriculum
Paperback
First published September 15, 2000
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About the author
Jane Harrison
19 books32 followersJane Harrison is descended from the Muruwari people and is an award-winning playwright, author and Festival director. Jane directed the Blak & Bright First Nations Literary Festival in 2016 and 2019.
Her first play Stolen played across Australia and internationally for seven years. Rainbow’s End was produced in 2005, 2009, 2011 and 2019 and won the 2012 Drover Award. Her novel Becoming Kirrali Lewis won the 2014 Black & Write! Prize, and was shortlisted for the Prime Minster’s Literary Awards and the Victorian Premier’s Awards.
Her latest play The Visitors premiered at Sydney Festival in 2020 and will be adapted into a novel, to be released by Harper Collins in 2023.
Jane believes in the power of stories in strengthening cultural connection.
Her first play Stolen played across Australia and internationally for seven years. Rainbow’s End was produced in 2005, 2009, 2011 and 2019 and won the 2012 Drover Award. Her novel Becoming Kirrali Lewis won the 2014 Black & Write! Prize, and was shortlisted for the Prime Minster’s Literary Awards and the Victorian Premier’s Awards.
Her latest play The Visitors premiered at Sydney Festival in 2020 and will be adapted into a novel, to be released by Harper Collins in 2023.
Jane believes in the power of stories in strengthening cultural connection.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
July 11, 2020
***Spoilers***
5 Brutally Honest, Confronting and Important Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I found a copy of the play ‘Stolen’ by Jane Harrison in a box that got left behind years ago when I moved out of Mum’s place. I vaguely remember studying it in High School but can’t recall if we actually went to see the play or not. I’m not sure if this is a poorer reflection on the current state of my long-term memory or my maturity and willingness to properly absorb and give the appropriate respect to such important subject matter at that age. Well, this time around it tore me to shreds.
Stolen was first produced by Ilbijerri Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Theatre Cooperative and Playbook Theatre Centre in 1998. It follows five aboriginal children who were forcibly removed from their parents in the latter years of “The Stolen Generations”. For those of you who are unaware, The Stolen Generations include many Australian Aboriginals who, between the period of 1910-1970, were forcibly removed from their parents as part of a policy of assimilation disguised as a welfare program. Assimilation was based on the belief that blacks were inferior and Whites superior. The natural elimination of the aboriginal people would be the ideal or, where possible, assimilation into white society. The children were taken to live in repressive state children’s home where they were often psychologically, physically and sexually abused. They were trained for domestic service and then the more desirable children (half-caste or of lighter skin) were chosen to be adopted by lovely “holier than thou” families who would teach them to reject their language and culture making them ashamed of their aboriginal heritage.
Through the eyes of the 5 children we see the profound effect that this policy had on aboriginal communities and still has until this day.
Anne has the lightest skin of the group so she is adopted by a white family. It is only when she is older that her white parents inform her that her birth mother would like to meet her. At this point, she is assimilated and through her perspective we see the inevitable identity crisis that confronts adopted aboriginals.
Ruby’s story was, for me, so hard to read. Both absolutely revolting and tragic. Through her, we see effects of the psychological, physical and sexual abuse that many aboriginal children were condemned to when placed in State care. The other children are jealous when Ruby continually gets chosen from their line-up to go and spend a day with a strange guest. She gets to play on a slide, eat fish and chips but she is not allowed to mention what else the man does to her. The ‘Unspoken Abuse’ chapters are heartbreaking, the innocence of the other children singing ‘Patty Cake’ whenever she arrived back at the home to find out what she’d been up to, unbelievably sad. Her family finds her in the end, but after such a harrowing childhood and years of serving an abusive white family, it’s too late, she is a broken woman.
Through Jimmy, we are told of how the State, having stolen these children from their parents, would tell the children that their parents were dead and that they would never see them again. Jimmy’s mum sends him letters regularly which are hidden away in a filing cabinet by the woman working in the State home. Jimmy never gets the letters and his mother, believing he is living a comfortable life with a white family, thinks he is just too busy to reply and has forgotten about her. When Jimmy later finds out his mother has been looking for him and they are finally to meet, she passes away and Jimmy, unable to keep up the fight, takes his life.
“Don’t let it happen again. Don’t let them take babies from their mother’s arms. Someone’s gotta fight. I just can’t no more… I’m going now, to be with my mother.”
Shirley has her daughter stolen from her and isn’t re-acquainted until she is much older and discovers that she is a grandmother. Her arc is a rare ray of hope amongst so many grim representations. She, at least, has the opportunity to develop a relationship with her daughter, an opportunity stolen from her as a young mother and to help bring up her granddaughter.
In Sandy’s story, we see the unfairness with which the children were often taken. Sandy was a result of rape and his name a product of his mother’s dark sense of humor. Through this story we see the unreasonable excuses used to take children from their homes. Sandy’s mother is seen as unfit because a welfare worker discovers an expired can of peas at the back of the cupboard.
This is a play, however, the stories within represent the very real lives of five aboriginal people. The fact that this was still going on up until 1970 makes me sick but that is the hard truth. Although very short, this is a hard read, but a necessary one.
5 Brutally Honest, Confronting and Important Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I found a copy of the play ‘Stolen’ by Jane Harrison in a box that got left behind years ago when I moved out of Mum’s place. I vaguely remember studying it in High School but can’t recall if we actually went to see the play or not. I’m not sure if this is a poorer reflection on the current state of my long-term memory or my maturity and willingness to properly absorb and give the appropriate respect to such important subject matter at that age. Well, this time around it tore me to shreds.
Stolen was first produced by Ilbijerri Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Theatre Cooperative and Playbook Theatre Centre in 1998. It follows five aboriginal children who were forcibly removed from their parents in the latter years of “The Stolen Generations”. For those of you who are unaware, The Stolen Generations include many Australian Aboriginals who, between the period of 1910-1970, were forcibly removed from their parents as part of a policy of assimilation disguised as a welfare program. Assimilation was based on the belief that blacks were inferior and Whites superior. The natural elimination of the aboriginal people would be the ideal or, where possible, assimilation into white society. The children were taken to live in repressive state children’s home where they were often psychologically, physically and sexually abused. They were trained for domestic service and then the more desirable children (half-caste or of lighter skin) were chosen to be adopted by lovely “holier than thou” families who would teach them to reject their language and culture making them ashamed of their aboriginal heritage.
Through the eyes of the 5 children we see the profound effect that this policy had on aboriginal communities and still has until this day.
Anne has the lightest skin of the group so she is adopted by a white family. It is only when she is older that her white parents inform her that her birth mother would like to meet her. At this point, she is assimilated and through her perspective we see the inevitable identity crisis that confronts adopted aboriginals.
Ruby’s story was, for me, so hard to read. Both absolutely revolting and tragic. Through her, we see effects of the psychological, physical and sexual abuse that many aboriginal children were condemned to when placed in State care. The other children are jealous when Ruby continually gets chosen from their line-up to go and spend a day with a strange guest. She gets to play on a slide, eat fish and chips but she is not allowed to mention what else the man does to her. The ‘Unspoken Abuse’ chapters are heartbreaking, the innocence of the other children singing ‘Patty Cake’ whenever she arrived back at the home to find out what she’d been up to, unbelievably sad. Her family finds her in the end, but after such a harrowing childhood and years of serving an abusive white family, it’s too late, she is a broken woman.
Through Jimmy, we are told of how the State, having stolen these children from their parents, would tell the children that their parents were dead and that they would never see them again. Jimmy’s mum sends him letters regularly which are hidden away in a filing cabinet by the woman working in the State home. Jimmy never gets the letters and his mother, believing he is living a comfortable life with a white family, thinks he is just too busy to reply and has forgotten about her. When Jimmy later finds out his mother has been looking for him and they are finally to meet, she passes away and Jimmy, unable to keep up the fight, takes his life.
“Don’t let it happen again. Don’t let them take babies from their mother’s arms. Someone’s gotta fight. I just can’t no more… I’m going now, to be with my mother.”
Shirley has her daughter stolen from her and isn’t re-acquainted until she is much older and discovers that she is a grandmother. Her arc is a rare ray of hope amongst so many grim representations. She, at least, has the opportunity to develop a relationship with her daughter, an opportunity stolen from her as a young mother and to help bring up her granddaughter.
In Sandy’s story, we see the unfairness with which the children were often taken. Sandy was a result of rape and his name a product of his mother’s dark sense of humor. Through this story we see the unreasonable excuses used to take children from their homes. Sandy’s mother is seen as unfit because a welfare worker discovers an expired can of peas at the back of the cupboard.
This is a play, however, the stories within represent the very real lives of five aboriginal people. The fact that this was still going on up until 1970 makes me sick but that is the hard truth. Although very short, this is a hard read, but a necessary one.
January 16, 2024
“been everywhere. except one place. home.”
a very confronting read but a powerful, essential australian play offering challenging but important insight into a dark period of australian history. harrison offers a raw portrayal of the systematic events that took place during what is known as the 'stolen generations' and moreover, explores the detrimental impact it had on indigenous families and communities. through each of the 5 distinct characters, the play reflects the various manifestations of the trauma and injustice they endured in all aspects of their lives. ruby and jimmy's stories in particular absolutely broke my heart, and i appreciate the brutal honesty in the depiction, which is made even more poignant when one learns that they are based on the experiences and reflections of real people who lived through the horrors.
“don’t let it happen again. don’t let them take babies from their mother’s arms.someone’s gotta fight. i just can’t no more… i’m going now, to be with my mother.”
possibly one of the most sickening passages i've read. it pulled so much emotion from me, and undeniably served its purpose to recognise the injustice in australia's past and protest against the inhumane treatment of first nations people- finally adequately voicing their struggles in this text.
overall, a profound portrait of the generational trauma that arose as a result of the assimilation policy- one that dominated the nation for decades. both infuriating & devastating and full of immense hope.
a very confronting read but a powerful, essential australian play offering challenging but important insight into a dark period of australian history. harrison offers a raw portrayal of the systematic events that took place during what is known as the 'stolen generations' and moreover, explores the detrimental impact it had on indigenous families and communities. through each of the 5 distinct characters, the play reflects the various manifestations of the trauma and injustice they endured in all aspects of their lives. ruby and jimmy's stories in particular absolutely broke my heart, and i appreciate the brutal honesty in the depiction, which is made even more poignant when one learns that they are based on the experiences and reflections of real people who lived through the horrors.
“don’t let it happen again. don’t let them take babies from their mother’s arms.someone’s gotta fight. i just can’t no more… i’m going now, to be with my mother.”
possibly one of the most sickening passages i've read. it pulled so much emotion from me, and undeniably served its purpose to recognise the injustice in australia's past and protest against the inhumane treatment of first nations people- finally adequately voicing their struggles in this text.
overall, a profound portrait of the generational trauma that arose as a result of the assimilation policy- one that dominated the nation for decades. both infuriating & devastating and full of immense hope.
June 24, 2023
"Been everywhere. Except one place. Home."
Home is where you belong, home is in your loving mothers arms, home is with those who treat you as human, home is where we all long to go, home is where every child belongs.
Jane Harrison left me with no words but so much emotion, so many things to say but not enough words to express them and in many ways heartbroken.
The only criticism I have is that the start can be a little confusing because of the characters and the way the play is written. But once you grasp the concept you can truly begin to appreciate this masterpiece, finally illustrating to us all with blatant honesty and at times through the eyes of childhood innocence, what really happened to the stolen generation.
This book may only be a short read but the impact it has on its readers is indubitably enormous.
Home is where you belong, home is in your loving mothers arms, home is with those who treat you as human, home is where we all long to go, home is where every child belongs.
Jane Harrison left me with no words but so much emotion, so many things to say but not enough words to express them and in many ways heartbroken.
The only criticism I have is that the start can be a little confusing because of the characters and the way the play is written. But once you grasp the concept you can truly begin to appreciate this masterpiece, finally illustrating to us all with blatant honesty and at times through the eyes of childhood innocence, what really happened to the stolen generation.
This book may only be a short read but the impact it has on its readers is indubitably enormous.
October 12, 2016
Had to read this for my Drama HSC's
September 17, 2025
required reading for everyone I think
January 7, 2019
had to read this for my VCE literature class and i cried about 5 times. such an important and heartwrenching story that needed to be told.
February 24, 2021
Stolen
Jane Harrison (play)
*Always On the Run. Never belonging anywhere. A traveller, a thinker, a storyteller, a hippie. A man in search of something who finally finds it, a sense of place.*
*A stolen child who becomes a mother whose children are, in turn, stolen. A nurturer; the "Earth mother". She never gives up searching for her kids and always looks to the future.*
Jane Harrison (play)
*Always On the Run. Never belonging anywhere. A traveller, a thinker, a storyteller, a hippie. A man in search of something who finally finds it, a sense of place.*
*A stolen child who becomes a mother whose children are, in turn, stolen. A nurturer; the "Earth mother". She never gives up searching for her kids and always looks to the future.*
November 20, 2020
I read this for a class and really enjoyed it. Seeing the actors switch from children to adults in the same paragraph is super cool! I want to read more books about Australia's Stolen generation. Sadly, I never learned about this in world history :/
April 26, 2022
Stolen is a play from the persectives of the Stolen Gneration. It stands out from the other books that I have read about the subject because it has five characters providing five different stories of what it means for them to be stolen. All of these characters have various ideas of what consists a home and where they think they belong. However, they are similar in the sense that all of them are searching for an identity and a sense of belonging. Furthermore, the visuals provoked by the stage directions are heart-breaking.
April 1, 2022
Short, sharp, and devastating
November 11, 2016
I thought that this play was absolutely beautiful. It has all the components of emotions that the Aboriginal people had endured. Each character represents with such precision the people that were stolen from their families. It's a beautiful representation that breaks my heart when I think of what those horrid people did. Today, one week after reading it and the stories still linger in my thoughts. Saddening, but beautiful.
October 13, 2018
A very insightful and important work for everyone. Not only a confronting insight into the lives of Aborigines, particularly the Stolen Generation, but the effects of mass-governmental control on the lives of people.
Even reading the play without having seen it has an impact, and certainly, much meaning can be deconstructed from both. There is rich language, imagery and ideas presented that are incredible.
Even reading the play without having seen it has an impact, and certainly, much meaning can be deconstructed from both. There is rich language, imagery and ideas presented that are incredible.
December 7, 2016
A deeply moving play. The portrayal of the stolen generation is executed so perfectly. You really gain new empathy and understanding for the children and the parents in this look behind closed doors and what happens after they are opened.
March 31, 2016
This was a really interesting play and I'd love to see it performed.
December 15, 2013
Excellent short play on the theme of the stolen generation. Very clever writing and I am sure it would work well on stage. Enjoyed it immensely.
November 4, 2014
Brilliant, tragic and heart-breaking. Would love to see this performed
October 11, 2016
I read this play in class and it was quite touching.
May 25, 2017
So sad reading this play - fighting back tears several times.
May 23, 2018
Such an important story that needed to be told and shared
October 7, 2018
very interesting and I'd like to see the performance
October 23, 2018
a really tragically beautiful play. Despite the heartbreak, there is hope:)
March 19, 2019
Powerful stories of what was done to the Stolen Generation. Incredibly moving.
January 2, 2022
4.0/5.0 stars
An intriguing take on the experience of Indigenous Australians and the Stolen Generation.
I felt a genuine connection with each of the characters and felt the emotions the writer intended for each coming out as their stories were told.
It doesn't tell you much about what the Stolen Generation is - I would recommend doing research on this and learning about what it is and how it's still affecting current generations of Indigenous Australians - but this play tells of the experience that hundreds of thousands Indigenous people have had.
An intriguing take on the experience of Indigenous Australians and the Stolen Generation.
I felt a genuine connection with each of the characters and felt the emotions the writer intended for each coming out as their stories were told.
It doesn't tell you much about what the Stolen Generation is - I would recommend doing research on this and learning about what it is and how it's still affecting current generations of Indigenous Australians - but this play tells of the experience that hundreds of thousands Indigenous people have had.
July 19, 2020
This text gives a voice to those who have been voiceless for too long. Following the journey of 5 Aboriginal children (part of the stolen generation), the text explores the way the children are affected by what happened to them. It doesn’t shy away from the ugly truth, which, while confronting, is necessary.
I would recommend this book to other Australians as it illuminates our history and seeks to explain why the past is something that still haunts members of our society today.
I would recommend this book to other Australians as it illuminates our history and seeks to explain why the past is something that still haunts members of our society today.
Read
June 24, 2020*read this for my year eleven literature class
Read
February 13, 2021Read for year 12 drama class.
Read
November 15, 2021well this was fucking sad, who's surprised
December 2, 2022
A very sad and confronting play
April 17, 2023
Holy fuck
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews