12 The Linguist Vol/61 No/4 2022
thelinguist.uberflip.com
FEATURES
Trine Garrett makes the case for enabling more productions
L
ondon: one of the most multicultural
cities in Europe, where between 100
and 300 languages are spoken, and
approximately one third of the population was
born outside the UK. Such diversity – linguistic
and cultural – should, one might think, make
for a rich theatre offering. And yet a Google
search of London's major theatres comes up
empty: no theatre in translation in the West
End. I widen the search to include some of
the mainstream theatres known for presenting
international work, such as Royal Court
Theatre, Gate Theatre and Almeida Theatre,
but still draw a blank. Can this really be?
Turning to the theatre translation
community on Twitter, I am pointed in the
direction of Lyric Hammersmith and the
Cervantes Theatre (which is dedicated to
showcasing Spanish and Latin American
plays). Both have productions in translation:
Britannicus by Jean Racine, translated and
adapted by Timberlake Wertenbaker, and
The Play to be Played by Miguel del Arco and
Aitor Tejada, which will be performed first in
Spanish and later in an English translation by
Simon Breden. Just two plays in translation in
a major global city with over 200 theatres.
While my research was not exhaustive, it is
supported by my experiences of working in
the field for more than a decade, as well as by
several studies. The academic research project
Translating Theatre, led by Dr Margherita
Laera, for example, showed that less than 5%
of all plays in the UK are in translation.
So why is so little theatre in translation
produced in the UK? In the current –
predominantly monolingual – theatre
landscape, several challenges are cited.
Many of these are related to attitudes
towards translation, perceived risks involved
in working with unknown playwrights, and
concerns that audiences will not be able to
connect with a foreign play. I am yet to see
any real evidence supporting such claims,
and my counter-arguments would provide
enough material for a separate article!
What's important is the impact of these
attitudes on the art of translating for the
stage, and thus on the role and craft of the
translator. This is largely ignored, or even
dismissed. Few opportunities exist for the
translator to learn about translating for the
stage or to hone their craft outside of a
formal education setting.
No drama for foreign
