Forms of transfer and intercultural exchange in English theatre


Building up from the dual nature of the theatre text/playtext, as both drama and a script for performance, the course intends to reflect on the complexity of the theatrical event, which is the product of multiple forms of transfer and exchange, as well as of negotiations that involve the work of playwrights, actors, translators, directors.
The course will investigate two main areas:
1.Intercultural-Transnational Shakespeare
a. Following the insights provided by director Peter Brook who has written extensively about Shakespeare, while staging many of Shakespeare’s works over several decades, we will reflect on Shakespeare’s plays and the challenge they pose to both actors and directors. Examples will be drawn primarily from Brook’s approach to Shakespeare in his production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1970), which is considered to be one of the greatest stagings of the play, that stressed the playfulness of the script and also incorporated influences and trends from non-European theatrical traditions.
Other examples of cross-cultural encounters in the theatre will be offered by looking at the perspectives provided by actors and actresses on Shakespeare in different theatrical contexts.

2.Transnational routes in the contemporary theatre - English theatre in a global framework
We will discuss recent plays and productions that have brought into relief forms of transfer, exchange and negotiation in contemporary theatre under the pressure of globalization and humanitarian crises.