Disaster, Displacement and Domesticity

Abstract

This article explores the way in which modern productions of Happy Days (by Sarah Frankcom and Katie Mitchell) can be read as a reappraisal of Winnie’s predicament in the light of climate change and disaster. By viewing the mound as both home and tomb, this exploration of the play in performance examines the way domestic rituals form part of her survival strategies. By utilising the critical framework of phenomenology and material object theory alongside environmental and sociological studies, this paper aims to further our understanding of the female body and its relationship with the environment in moments of crisis that lead to displacement, due to disaster, ageing or homelessness.