Live Like Pigs: sub-text

Section: Understanding Sub-text in Live Like Pigs

Sub-text, often hidden or indirect meaning in dialogue or action, is used extensively in Live Like Pigs, contributing to the complexity of the narrative and its characters.
The play depicts a battle between differing social classes, the sub-text implying criticism of classism and social disparity, reinforcing the political message of the play.
Characters’ dialogues and actions often have underlying meanings, interactions are not just face value but provide a deeper understanding of their motivations, leading to an examination of society.
Characters often say things that are contradictory to their actions. This inconsistency is essential to explore the sub-text, relating to the socio-political context of the play and the hidden motives of the characters.

Section: Utilising Sub-text in Performance

As performers, it’s essential to understand the sub-text, allowing for more nuanced performances which bring out the depth of their characters and the wider themes.
The sub-text can guide an actor’s choice of tone, stance, expression, and other performance aspects to convey the underlying messages or emotions effectively.
Knowledge of sub-text allows the actors to build a strong on-stage relationship, understanding the underlying dynamics between the characters.

Section: Analysing Sub-text in Live Like Pigs

In-depth analysis of the sub-text is necessary to appreciate the complex layers of the play and to understand it beyond the obvious plot and characterisations.
For example, the family’s resistance to moving into new housing offered by social services, while superficially appearing as ignorance, is sub-textually their inability to break from their conditioned life of poverty and their strong sense of identity related to their harsh living conditions. This represents the broader struggles of the underprivileged in society.
The pigsty can be viewed as a symbol of their poor living conditions and representative of the grim life they lead— a sub-textual remark on the government’s failure to improve housing for working class families.