Penelope Swales: Back to Me - a musical journey of survival

Back to Me

Melbourne Fringe Festival

Back to Me is a musical journey from Australian folk legend Penelope Swales, built from songs by three collaborating writers, Swales, Victoria Vigenser and Jules De Cinque.

It is a 45-minute story of survival, taking one woman from homelessness to hope. Back to Me is about holding on to your voice when life is unyielding.

The show traces one woman's path from despair to empowerment after fleeing the family home in fear for her life. Tilly's journey unfolds as she finds the courage to seek help, navigate the Courts, retrieve her children and finally secure safe housing and new employment.

The show uses a mix of original songs and multimedia to give us a window into a process often hidden from public view. Back to Me's mission is to create empathy for, and understanding of, the barriers women face when trying to escape a violent relationship and rebuild their lives.

In 2024, 81 women were killed due to gender-based violence, a significant increase from previous years. At the time of writing, the 2026 tally is 46.

"The constant headlines wear us down. Yet women can and do escape violence every day. I wanted to celebrate the grit and courage of these women" says award-winning songwriter and co-writer Penelope Swales. Jules De Cinque (ex-Women's Circus, playwright, educator and performer) concurs: "I wanted to do something about this crisis.

I wanted everyone to be talking about it. I contacted Penelope and we wrote songs."