The Effects of Translation on Performance: Translating Rhythm and Gesture in Two Plays by David Mence

This thesis takes the form of an empirical investigation on the effects of translation on the rhythm and gesture of a playtext in performance. The texts selected for this study are two contemporary plays by David Mence, Convincing Ground (2008-2010) and The Gully (2010), which are translated into Italian as part of this project. The translation was used in an experimental workshop, and the findings reveal that the effects of translation on the performance of a playtext are significant, in relation to both rhythm and gesture.