Episode 4
Whispers in the Storm
In each episode of Series 5 you will hear the words and music of Maggie Bell, who experienced sexual, physical and emotional abuse by her brother for 17 years, from the ages of 5 to 22 years.
Sibling abuse is an often neglected aspect of incest and, like all forms of intrafamilial abuse, it carries longlasting impact on the victim-survivors. For Maggie, the prolonged severe abuse she endured resulted in Dissociative Identity Disorder or D.I.D., in which different memories, reactions and feelings were isolated into separate parts of her personality.
To hear more about DID please listen to Episode 1 and for more about Maggie’s story please listen to Episode 2. During the long years of her abuse Maggie used music as a way to escape her trauma as well as to express herself when words were not allowed.
All of the pieces you will hear in this series have been created by Maggie as part of an exploration of living with D.I.D, with different parts or groups of parts composing each piece as a way of explaining the experiences or feelings they hold. Dr Jan Ewing.
NLM producer: Tanya Lee, Narrator: Peter Cousens, Composer and Story teller: Maggie Bell
Peter Cousens AM | Australian Actor
Peter is currently the artistic director of the Talent Development Project. He has worked in television, both as an actor and presenter. In the 1980s he guest starred in a number of major Australian television productions, including The Timeless Land, Earth Watch, The Sullivans, The Young Doctors, Sons and Daughters and The Restless Years. He then went on to take leading roles in Under Capricorn and Return to Eden.
Peter is also known for his work in musical theatre. Major roles include The Phantom in London's West End production of The Phantom of the Opera; he also portrayed Marius in Les Misérables, Alex in Aspects of Love, Tony in West Side Story, Bobby in Company, Nanki Poo in The Mikado, Anthony Hope in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and Chris in Miss Saigon in the Australian productions. Cousens appeared in the 2015 television opera The Divorce. He has received a number of Variety Club of Australia awards for his work.
Peter has been featured on a number of cast albums, including as Chris on the International Symphonic Recording of Miss Saigon, and as Charles Makin on the original cast album for Australian musical The Hatpin.
In September 2006 he launched Kookaburra: The National Musical Theatre Company, a non-profit theatre company based in Australia, dedicated to musical theatre. The company closed in 2009.
In 2012–13, Peter produced and directed Freedom, starring Cuba Gooding Jr, William Sadler and Sharon Leal.
B.D. (NIDA), M.A. (CQU)
Cert IV (T&A)
Artistic Director - Talent Development Project
Ambassador - Neurological Research Australia (NeuRA)
Artistic Ambassador - CQU Conservatorium of Music
Patron - Freedom Hub