Reproductive violence and feminist dramaturgy in Bodies by Vivienne Franzmann

Abstract

This article examines the multifaceted forms of violence embedded within transnational surrogacy practices through an analysis of Vivienne Franzmann’s play Bodies (2017). Centered on a British woman’s decision to pursue gestational surrogacy in India, the play reveals how reproductive desire intersects with global inequality, race, and privilege. Through its fragmented dramaturgy, the play stages forms of structural, symbolic, affective, and epistemic violence, dramatizing Clem’s internal conflict through her imaginary dialogues with her daughter and the nearly voiceless surrogate, Lakshmi. The character “Daughter” functions as an epic theatre device that interrupts narrative immersion and generates critical distance. Bird symbolism is employed to expose conflicting narratives of motherhood and ownership. Ultimately, Bodies critiques the commodification of reproduction and challenges audiences to reconsider the ethical and political implications of reproductive outsourcing.