Live Like Pigs: use of performance space

Section: Performance Space and Socio-economic Commentary

In Live Like Pigs, the performance space is utilised to highlight and critique the prevailing socio-economic conditions of the era.
The caravan, despite its squalid nature, represents a secure but tiny refuge from the outside world that is squeezed into a small part of the stage.
The offstage housing estate, presented as a symbol of progress and modernity, in reality, translates to displacement and exclusion for the underprivileged Carter family.

Section: Dichotomy in Performance Space

The play uses performance space to underline the stark dichotomy between affluent, mainstream society and marginalised, impoverished communities.
The visible, limited and cluttered playing area of the caravan site contrasts sharply with the unseen, spacious, and well-ordered housing estate.
Minor characters like Mr. Crack and the Neighbour enter the Carter’s cramped space, representing the intrusion of the wider world and its norms into their lives.

Section: Performance Space in Revealing Character Dynamics

Live Like Pigs uses space to depict and develop intriguing character dynamics.
The use of space distinguishes Lily’s position, who longs for the unseen comfort of a proper house, from her family who, despite their difficult circumstances, prefer their limited caravan site.
The delineation of interior and exterior spaces, or personal and collective spaces, aids in illustrating the conflicts and tensions within the Carter family and between them and the outside world.

Section: Performance Space and Symbolism

The performance space acquires symbolic dimensions in the course of the play.
The caravan, relegated to a small part of the stage, symbolises the marginalised Carter family’s struggle and resistance against societal norms and pressures.
The practice of creating physical boundaries and segregating spaces onstage mirrors the socio-economic divisions and discrimination faced by the underprivileged in society.
The final escalated disorder and destruction of the performance space resonate with a sense of tragic inevitability, echoing the Carters’ misfortune and resilience.