ABSTRACT

This chapter attempts to rectify the lacuna by examining theatre translations staged or proposed to be staged during the years of the Spanish Civil War and the Second World War. The dominance of non-political and non-controversial plays certainly suited the incumbent dictatorial regime's conformist expectations, but it contributed to the aesthetic and cultural impoverishment of theatrical life in Portugal. The complete lack of theatre translations referring to the concurrent wars in neighbouring Spain and around the world derived the Portuguese spectators of exchanging ideas and reflecting freely upon contemporary events and politics. The number of French plays banned on political grounds was comparatively higher, that is, four translations from French were proscribed by the authorities. It is important to highlight though that none of the theatre translations under study were prohibited on stage because of posing potential threat to the good relationship between Portugal and the belligerent powers, but again because of their presumably disrespectful allusions to national political affairs.