Cut me no cuts: text adaptation in foreign-language theatre

On the suggestion of Mario Melchionda, the poster for the 2009 student production of The Duchess of Malfi displayed a section of the title page of Andreas Vesalius’ De humani corporis fabrica, in which we see the anatomist dissecting a corpse. Interestingly, the choice of image, although in no way dictated by issues of text adaptation, was the last in a series of steps in what has been described as “surgical art”. This article will briefly explore some of the challenges faced when adapting literary texts for performance by foreign-language student theatre groups, drawing on experiences at Padua University. In particular, it will consider three productions, that of Shakespeare’s Henry VI Part One, Francis Beaumont’s The Knight of the Burning Pestle and the above-mentioned work by John Webster. As well as outlining some examples of good practice developed over the years, it attempts to show that involving the students themselves in the process of adaptation is of great educational value and can lead to a richer linguistic and theatrical experience, one that is not limited to learning a few lines off heart, albeit in a foreign language.