This little piggy...

Naked bodies, some of them human. Cannibalism of cast members. This, along with a hefty dose of ethical pondering, is what the audience to Life's new play 'Ach, du lieber...' have in store

by Sune Engel Rasmussen. English version by Luci Ellis

The play, which is an adaptation of H.C. Andersen's The Swineherd, was created by the Danish theatre group Von Heiduck. The action centres around an aging father who prefers his daughter and seven pigs' company to that of the cruel outside world.

Eat an actor

Like any good father, he attempts to marry off his daughter but she resists, prefering to daydream about ensuring her own immortality through art. That is until she meets a suitor she cannot refuse.

That is the basic plot, but the most interesting aspect of this play is its ethical reflections, and not least the fact that the four-legged cast members are served as refreshments after the curtain falls, lovingly prepared by the Danish celebrity chef Claus Meyer.

Porky love affair

Anyone who has been in Denmark for any length of time is in no doubt about the Danes' love affair with pigs and all of their by-products.

Roast pork with crackling at Christmas, pork meat balls on rye and the ever-present hot dog stands are some of the clues. Even the minced lamb in Danish supermarkets contains pork meat, it emerged this week in the tabloid press.

How then, do the Danes feel about their beloved meat-provider being raised to the status of artist?

Von Heiduck has ensured that the pigs are happy and will be cared-for until they meet their fate, but can one really go to the theatre and eat one of the cast members without batting an eyelid?

Emotional eating?

Do pigs have feelings? Can they be embarrased and insulted? Is it really OK to eat a creature that is close enough to humans that it can be used as an organ donor?

These are just some of the big questions you might like to ponder as you enjoy your next bacon sandwich.

If the play has whetted your appetite, so to speak, it can be seen at the old riding arena, Faculty of Life Sciences, Dyrlægevej 82, 1870 Frederiksberg C. It runs Tuesday to Friday 20.00 until 21 November.

Tickets are available at www.billetnet.dk

ser@adm.ku.dk

• Send
• Share