The Experts in the Room: Empowering Multilingual Students with Performing International Plays Workshops in English Schools

This article presents a transcript of a public conversation about Performing International Plays (PIP), a UK-based applied theatre project that brings contemporary international drama and theatre translation into secondary schools. Founded in response to the marginalisation of plays in translation within British theatre and education, PIP works with young people through multilingual performance, collaborative translation, and culturally responsive drama workshops. The interview documents a year-long collaboration between PIP and a large London academy serving a highly diverse student population, highlighting the impact of multilingual theatre practice on students’ oracy, confidence, engagement, and sense of cultural recognition.

Framed by an original introduction and conclusion, the article situates PIP within wider global conversations on language survival, revitalisation, and reawakening through youth-centred creative practice. Drawing conceptual links to Indigenous scholarship on linguistic resurgence and decolonising education, the article argues that theatre translation can function as a site of linguistic renewal, even beyond Indigenous contexts. By centring youth voices and practitioner reflections, the article offers a model for educators and applied theatre practitioners interested in using theatre to challenge monolingual norms, empower linguistically marginalised young people, and foster intercultural understanding.