“Calming my heartbeat to enjoy the show”: the social-indexical meanings of in-yer-face theater recontextualized in China

Abstract This article investigates the performability of in-yer-face theater that is recontextualized from the British to the Chinese context. We propose an interdisciplinary approach that uses sociolinguistic tools to empirically examine relevant issues for theater translation studies. By analyzing audience reactions from both online and offline platforms, we find that different audiences in China link this form of theater to context-specific indexical meanings . Our study reveals that Chinese audiences associate in-yer-face theater with the social persona of the wenyi qingnian – a stereotype of a pretentious youth with niche interests in the arts – and with socially transgressive ‘tastes’ referred to as zhong kouwei “heavy taste” and da chidu “overboard”. Because of the mixed attitudes among various stakeholders, the findings underscore the controversial nature of in-yer-face theater in China, as it is neither fully accepted nor fully rejected. By focusing on audience perception and interpretation, our study enriches the broader understanding of theater translation. We hope this study could provide a foundation for navigating the complex field of indexicality and performability for in-yer-face theater in China.