OOTW: A Night in Translation, May 16

Pictured: Marinella Mezzanotte reads her translation from Italian at a previous OOTW ‘Open Mic’ at Omnibus.

Out of the Wings: A Night in Translation

Omnibus Theatre, 16 May 2025, 7:30pm, admission free (book here)

Join Out of the Wings (OOTW) this May for a night in celebration of theatre, translation, and how plays, words and worlds can travel from one language to another. Beginning with a theatre translation ‘open mic’ session, we will then invite a panel of guests from translation theatre-making, producing and publishing to explore the subject of theatre translation today and its place in the UK theatre ecology and beyond.

Theatre Translation ‘Open Mic’*

We are delighted to bring back our theatre translation ‘open mic’ session for a fourth consecutive year. We invite translators and theatre-makers working on or with plays in translation to and from any language or languages to take to the floor and share an extract of their work with us, and with each other. Our previous ‘open mics’ have included contemporary queer work from Mexico, texts from the Spanish Golden Age, urgent writing from Ukraine, and flashbacks to 1990s Italy.

How Does the ‘Open Mic’ Work?

While we ask participants to book in advance for the evening, there is no need to sign up for the ‘open mic’ beforehand. On the night, colleagues from OOTW will be circulating with our ‘open mic’ list; simply speak to one of them and they will sign you up. Our emcee will then call upon participants to take the floor in order of sign-up. Please limit your reading to five minutes. 

Can I Come and Just Be in the Audience?

Of course! All are welcome.

*There will not be a literal mic (see the image above for an idea of the set-up).

Panel Discussion: Theatre Translation Today

After a break following the ‘open mic’ session, we are delighted to welcome a panel of guests to discuss theatre in translation, its place in UK theatre-making and theatre publishing today, and how work in translation finds its way onto stages and pages in the English-speaking world. Chaired by OOTW member, researcher, translator and theatre director Camila Ymay González, the panel will include Dom O’Hanlon (Senior Publisher, Methuen Drama), Marie McCarthy (Artistic Director, Omnibus Theatre), Kate O’Connor (theatre director and member of OOTW), and Atri Banerjee (Artistic Lead, Gate Theatre).

OOTW Festival 2025

After the panel and following time for questions from the audience, we will close the evening with an announcement of the line-up for the OOTW Festival play readings, which will take place at Omnibus Theatre from July 15 to 19. 

After this announcement, we will close the formalities of the evening and gather for a drink in the Omnibus bar.

Attendance at OOTW: A Night in Translation is free of charge, but please book in advance at this link.

OOTW is active all year round, exploring and platforming theatre in translation through our monthly play-reading group, annual festival and forum, blog, ad-hoc events, and partnership with publisher Inti Press. For more information, visit our website at ootwfestival.com or sign up to our mailing list here. Our call for presenters for the OOTW Forum, and booking for the OOTW play readings are both open now.