From speakability to hypothetical mise en scène: A Chinese rendition of monologues from Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus from page to stage

Abstract

Abstract In order to develop a deeper understanding of speakability and its connection to the actual practice of stage translation, this study explores the rendition of Salieri’s monologues in the 1986 Beijing production of Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus. The study finds that speakability does not manifest itself in specific stylistic forms; nor would it be determined by the adoption of any particular translation strategy. Rather, its conceptualization could be deeply embedded in the translator’s reading of the given dramatic roles and circumstances. This would make the translated playtext a so-called ‘hypothetical performance text’ incorporated with the translator’s own hypothetical mise en scène. The process of testing speakability through the actor’s verbalization is also one where the translator’s hypothetical mise en scène is evaluated. By tracking the verbal changes made from page to stage, this study shows how the process could be influenced by the negotiation with and between the translational and the theatrical norms governing the different phases of the production, and how a stage translator could make greater contribution to the process.