Audio description for the theatre. A research-based practice

This chapter offers an overview of audio description research and practice for the theatre. It approaches theatre audio description from the perspective of Multimodal Translation Studies and Functional Translation Studies with the aim to elicit the core features that are specific to audio description for the theatre and shape the process or workflow as well as its ultimate presentation at the time of the performance. The chapter first discusses the traditional features that characterize audio description for theatrical performances. Next, it looks at state of the art evolutions in theatre audio description research and practice. Core issues are illustrated with concrete examples from Milo Rau’s challenging staging of Compassie at NTGent in Belgium in 2020. The chapter argues that the hybridity of much contemporary theatre, technological innovation in the field and the changing perception of what accessibility can or should be, make it quite impossible to formulate general guidelines. Each performance must be approached as a new challenge, involving a complex decision-making process.