OVERCOMING BABEL

When our common language is playback theatre, let’s imagine how we can build bridges of communication across different spoken languages. Listening, interpretation and translation into action is challenging enough when we all speak the same language in playback theatre. When there are multiple languages in the same room, how can we enable people to be heard and understood? Those of us who speak more than one language have a special role to play in these situations.

Let’s, together, explore ways in which playback in multilingual contexts can be entertaining and effective. And maybe by paying attention to what is spoken, we can also see more clearly what is communicated beyond words.

"And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do" (Genesis 11:6)

Veronica Needa