Europe on Stage; Translation and Theatre

Translation and Theatre

Plays written by the major European dramatists of the last two centuries – from the firmly established classics of Ibsen and Chekhov to the recent successes of Yasmina Reza – are increasingly performed on British stages, often in new translations or versions. But what distinguishes one translation from another? And what social and cultural factors of reception must the translator of a foreign play take into account?

This comprehensive study of the history of European plays on the English stage explores the importance of cultural assumptions and linguistic stumbling blocks. Gunilla Anderman looks at varying approaches to the foreign text as well as the need for new versions of the same play, and discusses the influence of European drama in translation and its contribution to and enrichment of English playwriting. Key phrases recurring in the original works of the European canon are also scrutinised in an attempt to demystify and unearth what English readers of the translated texts may never have known they were missing. Europe on Stage: Translation and Theatre is a valuable addition to the literature on the theatre, of interest to theatre-goers, theatre practitioners and linguists as well as students of drama, comparative literature and translation studies.