Cross-channel Theatre Translation: A Comparative Study of Theatre Translation between France and the United Kingdom in the Twenty-First Century

The production history of a play in translation between the UK and France contains an entire sequence of events occurring in one of these two distinctive theatrical cultures. Many of the events in this sequence, from the writing and the production of the original text to the production of the translation, have been studied by scholars either in isolation or as part of analyses of national theatre cultures. Yet there are no studies which seek to analytically compare theatre translation in France and the UK. Considering the depth of Anglo-French historical, cultural and theatrical ties, the original approach taken by this thesis serves to fill the gap in the existing scholarship. By combining macro analysis of the two theatre cultures with case studies of institutions and playwrights, I examine the process of contemporary theatrical translation between France and the United Kingdom, employing methodologies including comparative analysis, socio-cultural critique and semi-structured interviews.

The first part of the thesis conducts global analysis of three aspects of the theatrical ecologies. Firstly, the differing organisational and funding models are contrasted in order to demonstrate the material effect of financing and cultural policy on the nations' theatrical systems. Secondly, the structural framework and aesthetic concerns of the playwrighting cultures are compared to explain the opposing textual forms, genres and styles emanating from contemporary British and French stages. Thirdly, the standing and support for theatre translation and the amount and type of Franco-British theatre translation across the last twenty-five years are assessed in detail. The second part of the thesis contains six case studies to understand the practical operation of actors and institutions involved in the process of theatre translation, including: dramaturgical institutions such as the The Chartreuse and the Traverse theatre; translation focussed institutions in the Gate Theatre (London) and the Maison Antoine Vitez; the translated productions of significant contemporary playwrights including debbie tucker green and Alexis Michalik.

The conclusion contextualises the specific analysis of the case studies within the separate theatrical ecologies demonstrating how the competitiveness of the environment, funding sources and cultural policy prescribe institutional behaviour and influence individual actions. Examining French and British theatrical heritages in the contemporary climate, and how these heritages are perceived by the other nation, reveals which texts (un)successfully travel across the channel in translation.