Adapting, Performing and Reviewing Shakespearean Comedy

in a European Context

 

Interdisciplinary Symposium at the Institute of Modern Languages Research (IMLR), London, Thursday 12 and Friday 13 June 2014

 

This two-day symposium brings together practitioners, reviewers and academics to generate a focused debate on the transnational and regional aspects of humour and its manifestation in Shakespeare’s texts and adaptations. Events such as the World Shakespeare Festival, as well as international Shakespeare festivals and the increase in international tours of Shakespeare productions, continually raise the issue of “International Shakespeares” vs “local culture(s)” – a key concern of this symposium.

 

The event concentrates on the text, performance, and reviewing of Shakespeare’s comedies in a European context. We invite proposals for 15-minute papers and provocations that will contribute to and spark focused panel discussions. We also welcome proposals for performances and workshops focusing on the practical exploration of the interrelationship between humour, Shakespearean text and adaptation, performance and reviewing.

 

Confirmed keynote contributors include:

 

Prof. Tom Bishop, University of Auckland

Niels Brunse, translator

Prof. Michael Dobson, Shakespeare Institute

Mark Fisher, theatre critic (The Guardian, The Scotsman and others)

Dr. Steve Purcell, University of Warwick & Pantaloons

Dr. P.A. Skantze, University of Roehampton

 

Contributions are invited on topics in the following areas:

 

1)    “Comedy and Culture: The Starting Point”

Papers in this section should explore the underlying relationship between humour and culture. Questions to be asked could include: Which aspects of humour are universal/which are dependent on cultural context? How does Shakespearean comedy reflect the interrelationship of humour and culture?

 

2)    “Adapting Across Cultures”

Concentrating on textual adaptation, contributions to this panel could address issues of language, translation, surtitling, and dramaturgy, as well as historical dimensions of textual practice and adaptation.

 

3)    “Performing Across Cultures”

This panel could consider issues of “transnational” performance, e.g. local vs. global audiences; audience and humour; transgeneric forms and humour (especially where comedies are played as tragedies and vice-versa), as well as Shakespeare and community/citizenship.

 

4)    “Reviewing Across Cultures”

This panel could consider the art of the review; national styles of reviewing; the institutionalisation of reviewing; print versus new media, and festival reviewing. It could also compare local, national and “transnational” reviews (i.e. reviews of touring productions).

 

Please send 200-word abstracts with a 50-word biography by 15^th February 2014 to the following address: [log in to unmask]

 

Please indicate whether you want to contribute a 15-minute paper or a workshop / performance piece.

 

The organisers:

Aneta Mancewicz (University of Bedfordshire); Emily Oliver (King’s College London); Aleksandra Sakowska (London Shakespeare Centre); Benedict Schofield (King’s College London); Godela Weiss-Sussex (Institute of Modern Languages Research).