BBL’s translation support and use of social media directed the attention of the Leatherhead Drama Festival in England to Tremayne Theatre Company in Barcelona.
The Leatherhead Drama Festival in England is the biggest amateur drama festival in the UK – and TTC is the first group from outside the UK to compete in the competition. The festival, championed by Sir Michael Caine, opens on Monday 27 April and runs until Saturday 9 May in Leatherhead, England. TTC are performing “Marie’s Crisis Café” on Friday 8 May. The winners from the adult and junior groups will then perform again at the Gala night on Saturday 9 May in Leatherhead (45 minutes south of central London).
TTC are now preparing for their third and fourth performances of “Marie’s Crisis Café” on Thursday 23 April and Thursday 30 April at Tinta Roja in Barcelona before they take their show to England in May to compete against 12 other teams in the festival.
BBLTranslation is a strong supporter of TTC. BBL has produced many vocabulary lists (using the language in the TTC plays) and has translated the plays’ English vocabulary into Spanish and Catalan to help bring theatre in English to communities who don’t have English as their first language. The lists are posted on TTC’s website for the audience to view ahead of the performance. Copies are also available as a handout at the theatre, or electronic copies are ready to be forwarded directly to a smartphone to view before “Curtain Up”.
A percentage of the proceeds from the ticket sales from the Tinta Roja performances will be donated to the Barcelona Women’s Network to help support their charities.
The vocabulary lists are proving a welcome basis for many non-native English speakers to enjoy a night at the theatre with a good idea of the English vocabulary that they should expect to hear. After the show, they can then also mingle with the actors and other members of the audience, if they wish, and share common conversational themes in various languages: namely, the content of the plays – and their personal reaction to them. It’s an excellent opportunity to explore English, Spanish, and Catalan with an immediate, live topic of conversation.
Art meets English language in its pure state in Barcelona. Attending a fun show is the recommended method to improve a language and a great opportunity to network with English native speakers and theatre lovers.
