The role of the translator in British and German productions of Bulgarov's work

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It is only in recent years that translation scholarship has recognised theatre translation as a branch of Translation Studies, distinct from literary translation. While these two translation areas do share some characteristics, particularly the use of a creative source text (ST), the theatre translator must engage with the intended performative aspect of texts. The multimodal nature of their work requires complete understanding of both translation and performance practices. Therefore, a collaborative approach which allows the translator to share important linguistic and cultural information regarding the ST, while gaining first-hand knowledge from theatre practitioners on practical aspects of theatre performance, could benefit all parties in the creative process. Expanding upon the accepted performance convention of breaking the "fourth" wall, this study will introduce the breaking of what I propose as the "fifth" wall. Just as the "fourth" wall refers to the invisible wall between actors and audiences, the "fifth" wall here refers to the invisible wall between actors/directors/producers/audiences and translators. Most studies of theatre translation focus on a single target-language lingua-culture. My study would exploit this gap, by comparing the role of the theatre translator in British and German stage adaptations of translations of Mikhail Bulgakov's plays into English and German, respectively. This will allow for a greater understanding of British translation approaches to Russian theatre, by comparing them to another European society with an equally long-established tradition of staging foreign plays. This may allow for further comparative analyses, building a fuller picture of theatre translation practices across Europe and beyond.This project investigates how and to what extent the translator is involved in the creative process oftheatre production, and their level of visibility in this process. By analysing the works of a playwright whose works were banned under Stalin but found new audiences in the West after de-Stalinization, this will also tackle the issue of limited visibility of playwrights who are lesser known outside of Russia, on foreign stages.The process of moving from page to stage is multimodal. Therefore, research in this area should take this multimodality into account, by combining a theoretical and practical approach. This study seeks to move away from the traditional dichotomy which is inherent in theatre translation - performability vs readability - and aim towards an all-inclusive approach, considering all aspects oftheatre and performance, including audience reception and the use of music/lighting/set to create mood.My research will challenge existing views on the translator's role in theatre. The translator is an intermediary point of contact between the playwright/ST and production team, and, thus, the audience, so their significance cannot be overstated. Therefore, to break the "fifth" wall is to acknowledge the active role of the translator in productions and draw attention to their role, not just in theatre, but as a profession which enables intercultural communication, in an increasingly globalised world.