Disability Arts Online

Pig Tales is on a whistle-stop national tour until mid-January 2008. Tanya caught up with the play at Arena Theatre Wolverhampton.

I was expecting a fantastic performance from Julie in Pig Tales and she did not disappoint. This was a great piece of disability art that used disability iconography, archetype, gender and religion at its best, to tell a story based on a real life disability experience.

Julie’s solo performance throughout the play was inspiring. As she told Pigs’ story she changed from character to character seamlessly. Her attention to detail, especially with the costumes, was perfectly matched with the characters themselves. I loved Mother Tabards’ apron and Nurses’ shiny patent brogues. Great legs Julie!

The stage was set in the opening scene as we meet Pig getting dressed in a mans suit. At this point my eyes scanned the rest of the set. At first glance it looked fairly minimal: Pigs dressing mirror; a catholic altar with multi media projections; a set dining table and chairs; a hospital curtain with various pieces of clothing hanging over it; a butchers table with hanging pieces of meat and an assortment of clothing.

I liked the way Julie remained on stage throughout the play. She changed into the different characters before my eyes, physically and emotionally drawing me into Pigs’ world. There were occasions where I connected but then the characters were gone. I would have liked to know more about the individual personalities and their motivations. My personal favourites were Mother and Nurse. I could relate to them both, recognising them as part of my disability experience.

I loved the use of film and still imagery in the play. It was seductive and an integral part of Pigs’ story - leading us into an almost dream-like world. At times it was difficult to see these images, however. Some - especially when Pig was clubbing, just before being incarcerated into the mental heath system - were extremely powerful. Unfortunately due to the small size of the screen, their impact was somewhat lost.

I thought the screen should have been a total backdrop, centre stage with Julies monologue’s performed alongside. Eerie Shots of Julie as Mary Mother of God were iconic and drew me into the world of the Catholic Church. As we moved into Pigs’ mothers’ world, we saw images of Doris Day and Cary Grant creating that 1950’s lifestyle, housewives dreamed about. I even joined in singing with Doris Day at one point! I love a good musical! This was perfectly juxtaposed against images of physical and mental torture from the film Whatever Happened To Baby Jane. This is an absolutely iconic film that uses archetypes of disability in its imagery that is of the horror genre.

Pig Tales is an awesome honest portrayal of a truly real life experience. Thanks to the McNamara Mayhem team.

Pig Tales written and performed by Julie McNamara
Director - Jessica Higgs
Designer – Katherina Radeva
Lighting Designer - Crin Claxton
Visual Director – Maria Robinson
Visual Editor - Caglar Kimyoncu
Sound – Liv Elliot

To find full listings for Pig Tales and to find out more about Julie McNamara’s work in theatre and performance visit her web site