Accessing Shakespearean drama through (re)translation and audiovisual adaptation in the twenty-first century

This special issue offers insights into translational and adaptive practices through which Shakespearean drama is reinterpreted and disseminated today. Given their diverse understanding of accessibility, contributors discuss readability and performability of early modern drama texts as well as the needs of audiences with diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds in the twenty-first century. Intralingual translations or English rewritings tend to be made for purposes of education and social inclusion, and also to remove geographical and temporal distances between stage and film adaptations and their audiences. At the same time, interlingual translation and retranslation practices highlight localisation strategies through which translation flows of Shakespeare’s plays have long facilitated community engagement. The editors of this special issue also intend to promote views of accessibility to adaptations as a form of media content in its own right, referring specifically to audiovisual translation practices that assist viewers with visual and hearing impairments, such as sign language performances, subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing or audio descriptions.