performinginternationalplays.com PERFORMING INTERNATIONAL PLAYS

A new, free online platform showcasing some of the best contemporary plays from Asia, Africa, America, Australia and Europe specifically chosen for young people (but good for adults too!)

We offer videos, essays, interviews, plot summaries, and other learning resources for use in secondary education and beyond.

Broaden your and your students’ knowledge working with international plays! ABOUT

Performing International Plays is a not-for-profit open access website which aims to empower and support teachers in their effort to diversify the curriculum and ensure the content they deliver speaks to and represents all students in our diverse classrooms.

By engaging your students with international theatre, you will help them connect with important local stories from around the world and develop the cultural competencies required to succeed in our interconnected, global societies.

The website will include a selection of 20 plays from 5 continents written in 15 languages by authors from diverse backgrounds published in English translation, which can easily be incorporated into curricular and extra curricular Drama at secondary- school/college level.

The work is funded by the UK’s Arts and Humanities Research Council as part of Dr Margherita Laera’s work advocating for more international theatre and drama in translation to be studied and performed in schools and in theatres as a means to foster intercultural understanding and connections.

To know more about why we want to encourage more young people to read and perform international drama, read Margherita’s book, Theatre & Translation (Red Globe Press, 2019). DEVELOPMENT

The project started in September 2019, and the website was due to launch in September 2020. Covid-19 postponed the launch, but we are thrilled to announce that filming will take place this autumn.

We will keep in touch with news about the launch.

RESOURCES

The website will include: Newly commissioned video clips of selected excerpts in different versions: the original language, the original English translation, and a newly commissioned translation/adaptation of the excerpt Interviews with cast, creatives, translators and academics Authors’ and translators’ notes Contextualising essays Educational resources to include synopses, themes, character descriptions, and interesting ways to explore the texts through questions and practical exercises

Educational resources for a wider list of plays from around the world available in English including: The Visitors by Jane Harrison (Australia) One Green Bottle by Hideki Noda (Japan) The House of the Spirits by Caridad Svich (US), based on the novel by Isabel Allende (Chile) Egyptian Products by Leila Soliman (Egypt) Useful links including publishers, articles, and other networks that promote plays in translation and international plays PLAY HIGHLIGHTS

A FABLE FOR NOW (現世寓⾔) FIREWORKS (AL' AB NARIYA)

Writer: Wei Yu-Chia Writer: Dalia Taha Translator: Jeremy Tiang Translator: Clem Naylor To be published: Laertes, late 2020 Published: Bloomsbury, 2015 Development: English language Reading, World premiere: , PEN World Voices Festival, New York, USA, , UK, 2015 2018 New English adaptation of excerpt: New English translation: Mingyu Lin Hannah Khalil set in Northern Ireland Filmed excerpt director: Mingyu Lin Filmed excerpt director: Omar Elerian Country of origin: Taiwan Country of origin: Palestine Original language: Original language: Palestinian Arabic Traditional Mandarin Chinese

I SEE YOU / NGIYAKUBONA / EK SIEN JOU / NDIYAKUBONA NAMATJIRA

Writer: Mongiwekhaya Mthombeni Writers: Scott Rankin, with Trevor Jamieson Published: Bloomsbury, 2016 and Derik Lynch World premiere: Royal Court Theatre, Published: Currency Press, 2011 London, UK, 2016 World premiere: Belvoir Street Theatre, BSL translation of Dr Pravesh’s role in Sydney, Australia 2010 filmed excerpt: Nadia Nadarajah Filmed excerpt director: Scott Rankin Filmed excerpt director: Anthony Simpson- Country of origin: Australia Pike (English and BSL) Original languages: English, Aranda, Country of origin: South Africa German Original languages: English, Zulu, Afrikaans, Xhosa

THE CONCERT / EL CONCIERTO THE GRAIN STOR E (Зернохранилищe)

Writer: Ulises Rodríguez Febles Writer: Natal’ya Vorozhbit Translator: William Gregory Translator: by Sasha Dugdale Published: Nick Hern Books, 2009 Published: Nick Hern Books, 2009 World premiere: Havana, Cuba, 2004 and World Premiere: Courtyard Theatre, Royal Court Theatre, London, UK, 2004 Stratford-upon-Avon, UK, 2009 New English adaptation of excerpt: Gigi New English adaptation of excerpt: Guizado set in Latinx community in Florida Tonderai Munyevu set in Zimbabwe Filmed excerpt director: Filmed excerpt director: Camila González Ortiz Anthony Simpson-Pike Country of origin: Cuba Country of origin: Ukraine Original language: Cuban Spanish Original language: Russian MEET THE TEAM

MARGHERITA LAERA PROJECT LEADER

Margherita is a Senior Lecturer in Drama and Theatre at the University of Kent, Canterbury. She specialises in translation and adaptation for the stage, and contemporary European performance, especially in Italy. She is also a professional arts journalist and theatre translator.

Margherita is the author of Theatre & Translation (Red Globe Press, 2019) and Reaching Athens: Community, Democracy and Other Mythologies in Adaptations of Greek Tragedy (Peter Lang, 2013) and editor of Theatre and Adaptation: Return, Rewrite, Repeat (Methuen, 2014).

CRISTINA CATALINA PRODUCER

Cristina Catalina is a producer, translator and performer, and Associate Producer at Dash Arts. Work includes productions at Rich Mix, Lyric Hammersmith, VAULT Festival, as well as working with international cultural organisations on touring productions to the Barbican, Theatre Royal Stratford East and with LIFT.

As a translator she regularly works on the Royal Court International Residency.

ANTHONY SIMPSON PIKE CREATIVE CONSULTANT

Anthony Simpson-Pike is a theatremaker and dramaturg and Associate Director at The Yard Theatre.

He previously worked at The Gate Theatre as Associate Director. Recent directorial work includes The Ridiculous Darkness by Wolfram Lotz at The Gate and Staff Director on Master Harold and the Boys at the National Theatre. MEET THE TEAM

NATALIE BEECH WEBSITE DESIGNER & MARKETING MANAGER

Natalie is a freelance writer and marketer, whose clients include Dash Arts, Camden Fringe Festival, An Indian Summer Festival, The Big House, and more.

Her work includes consulting and developing on brand identity, running press campaigns, social media and designing assets for a variety of clients. Natalie is also a playwright, whose work has been staged at venues including The Pleasance, Attenborough Arts Centre and the .

ALMIRO ANDRADE LEARNING RESOURCE WRITER

Dr. Almiro Andrade is an actor, director, playwright, dramaturg and theatre translator with a PhD in Translation of Brazilian Contemporary Drama through devising for performance at King's College London.

His approach sees all stages of theatre-making as an act of translation and his practice champions the production of international pieces in the UK since 2008.

ALIA ALZOUGBI LEARNING RESOURCE WRITER

Alia Alzougbi is a BAFTA-nominated artist, educator and cultural producer. Her work in education explores learner-led approaches combining active global citizenship and indigenous wisdoms, and in this capacity, she leads Global Learning London.

Other work includes chairing conversations for the National Theatre, and curating events for the British Museum. She holds a Writers' Guild Olwen Wymark Award, and is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. MEET THE TEAM

Video Production: Chocolate Films Playwrights: Mongiwekhaya Mthombeni, Scott Rankin with Trevor Jamieson and Derik Lynch, Ulises Rodríguez Febles, Dalia Taha, Natal’ya Vorozhbit, Wei Yu-Chia

Translators: Short Film Directors: Sasha Dugdale Omar Elerian William Gregory Camila González Ortiz Gigi Guizado Mingyu Lin Mingyu Lin Anthony Simpson-Pike Clem Naylor Jeremy Tiang

Adaptors: Hannah Khalil Tonderai Munyevu

Essay writers: Molly Flyn (Birkbeck) Lillian Manzor (Miami) Jasmine Chen (Utah State) Gabriel Varghese (Kenyon Institute Jerusalem) Liza-Mare Syron (UNSW)

THANKS TO: Partners: Omnibus Theatre as the filming location, Romanian Cultural Institute for the rehearsal space, The Gate Theatre, London and Gulbenkian Theatre, Canterbury for their support.

Advisory Board: José Gudino, Nikki Holdaway, Paul Stevens, Sarah Robinson, Holly Whymark, Chris Campbell, Oliver Carruthers, Harold Raitt, Gavin Clarke, Ana de Medeiros, Marc Mollica, Sissi Liechtenstein, Phil Cleaves.

Also thanks to: King's College London, Casarotto Ramsay, Nick Hern Books, Bloomsbury, Oberon Books, Currency Press, Big hART