Shakespeare's Henry V gets dedicated Chinese translation

Chinese and British drama troupes will bring a translated version of William Shakespeare's Henry V to stages in China in November.

The Chinese Henry V, jointly translated by the Shanghai Drama Art Center (SDAC) and the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), will debut on Nov. 11 in Shanghai.

While there have been many Chinese translations of Shakespeare's work, this one is unusual in being specifically for the stage. It is quite different from the literary translation, said Yu Rongjun, vice president of SMEG Performing Arts Group, which owns SDAC.

Under an agreement signed by SMEG and the RSC in 2015, 37 Shakespeare plays will get Chinese versions for stage performance in the next eight years.

The localization of the plays in China will act as a model for the RSC to produce different language versions in other countries, said RSC director Owen Horsley.