Translating Shakespeare into sign language

Abstract Shakespeare is widely recognised as a literary icon, mainly due to his masterful use of the English language and his ability to explore universal themes that transcend space and time. His plays have been translated into numerous languages over the centuries, reflecting their enormous appeal to diverse audiences. International staging mainly involves adapting texts for different languages and cultures, a complex process that demands linguistic, theatrical, and cultural expertise ( Brodie 2022 , 423). What happens when translating between two vastly different languages, such as English and a sign language? This paper addresses this question by examining the translation of two Shakespearean plays into sign language, specifically Twelfth Night into American Sign Language (ASL) and Macbeth into British Sign Language (BSL). These adaptations aim to make Shakespeare accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences by translating the essence of the stories into a visual language. The study highlights the challenges and opportunities of adapting classical theatre for deaf audiences, demonstrating how translation can bridge cultural divides. However, translating Shakespeare into sign language requires careful consideration of linguistic and cultural differences ( Bencie 2003 ; Snyder 2009 ). This paper aims to show how sign language translation promotes cultural exchange and accessibility for audiences who are often marginalised in the arts ( Bradbury 2022 ; Neves 2022 ; Orero 2022 ) and to shed light on the importance of involving deaf artists and scholars in the translation process to ensure culturally sensitive and accurate translations ( Pollard 2002 ; Bauman 2008 ). Overall, this paper contributes to the field of theatre translation, a “burgeoning” area of Translation Studies (TS) ( Serón Ordóñez 2014 ), and clarifies the significant role of translation in promoting cross-cultural communication.