Textual, audio and physical space: Adapting Perec’s radio plays for Theatre

In an exploration of Georges Perec’s geographies, it is important to consider the spaces of his texts and the spaces in which and through which they have been performed. This chapter examines the spatiality of two of Georges Perec’s original radio plays: ‘The Machine’ (Die Maschine) and The Raise (L’Augmentation).1 The layout and typesetting of these works on the page is an intrinsic component of their initial engagement and comprehension. The use of language in both creates meaning and narrative within their own separate conceptual landscapes and audio spatiality is key, particularly for ‘The Machine’. The adaptation process through one conceptual and metaphorical space into the vocal area and further into the physical space of the theatre, as well as its attendant conceptual spaces, raises distinctly Perecquian opportunities and issues.