Drama translation: theory and practice. The case of Conor McPherson’s This Lime Tree Bower, The Weir, and St. Nicholas on the Italian Stage

This book is the result of a research on drama translation, conducted for almost a decade, that helped the author to outline a precise theoretical framework in which drama translation can be inscribed. She outlines the development of drama translation from its early linguistic approaches to the most recent advances that see drama translation as a means of accessibility. Various approaches to drama translation, such as the semiotic approach, the intercultural approach and the performative approach, are also investigated. Furthermore, she analyses intertextuality and the definition of what has been variously termed as ‘version’, ‘adaptation’ or ‘rewrite’, issues which are relevant to drama translation. Some models of drama translation are then illustrated to show how scholars have tackled the complexity of translation of the playtext. Finally, the process of translation is analysed in detail for the Italian translations of three plays by the contemporary Irish playwright Conor McPherson.