Play On Shakespeare is a non-profit company promoting and creating contemporary modern translations of Shakespeare’s plays. It partners with artists and organisations across the globe to deliver these translations through different channels including publications, podcasts, theatrical productions, film, and audio books. It's mission is "to enhance the understanding of Shakespeare’s plays in performance for theatre professionals, students, teachers, and audiences by engaging with contemporary translations and adaptations."
But why alter some of the most well known lines in poetry and drama? Is this heresy?
We were invited to The Globe Theatre (where else?!) to probe this very question and to gain an idea of the process involved in re-writing Shakespeare to make it more accessible.
Actually, apart from The Globe, most productions change the era that the plays are set in and the costumes, but not the language. Play on Shakespeare flips that - it changes the language but leaves the plays in an Elizabethan setting.
The evening we attended took place in the smaller Sam Wannamaker Playhouse, an intimate atmospheric candle-lit venue. We were led by Lue Douthit, the President of Play on Shakespeare, and read examples of the re-wording by some actors and then invited to discuss and ask questions. One great comment from an audience member, was along the lines of, "I'm just an A level student, but if I could have seen a play re-written like this before tackling the Shakespearean language, I'd have felt a lot more comfortable". And that's really the whole point of the exercise.
We also got to meet one of the modern playwrights and the actor that she'd worked with. Her version has taken an incredible 3 years to perfect. 39 plays have been translated so far. The sample below will give you an idea of where the original is adhered to, and where the modern replaces it.
All the world’s a Stage
And all the men and women merely players.
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms.
Then, the whining school-boy with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like a snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like a furnace, with a woeful ballard
Made to his mistress’ eyebrow. Then, a soldier
Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard.
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon’s mouth. And then the
justice.
Arden Shakespeare
All the world’s a Stage
And all the men and women merely players.
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one person in their time plays many parts.
Their acts; seven generations. The infant,
Wailing and puking in the nurse’s arms.
Then, the whining schoolchild with his their book bag
And sleep-shined face, snail-slow pacing it
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Breathing like furnace, with tortured poem
Writ to lover’s eyebrow. Then a soldier
Tongued with foreign words, with panther stealth
Ready to defend, deft and quick with fight
Seeking quick fleeting fame as head inserts itslef
Into cannon’s mouth. And then the justice.
David Ivers ©2019
What do you think? Could you have done better? Will you listen to one of the plays on the podcast or seek out a stage version? I know that I'd certainly like to see one the next time London is the venue.
More information about Play On Shakespeare
The Podcast can be found here New episodes are aired each Monday.
More information about Play on Shakespeare can be found here
The Globe Theatre here
The next production by Play on Shakespeare in England is in Sunderland here
