From Donegal to Senegal: Brian Friel's 'Translations' premieres in West Africa

Brian Friel’s play ‘Translations’ premiered in Senegal. 

The adaptation, which premiered in the capital city, Dakar, featured a Senegalese cast.

As reported by France24, this comes at a time when France’s own colonial legacy is being increasingly rejected and “the parallels feel striking”. 

Written in 1980, the three-act play contains themes of cultural imperialism and colonial power. Senegal was colonised by France until its independence in 1960, but as with many former colonies, the colonial legacies can still be felt in the modern day. 

Translations was set in the fictional town of Ballybeg in 1833 and it traces the impact a department of the British Army Royal Engineers has on the Irish-speaking community there. Charting the countryside and anglicising native Irish place names, the engineers are perceived as harmless, even friendly.

An engineer becomes captivated by Irish culture and a local girl. When Yolland disappears, the colonial character of the engineers’ actions becomes clear as they rampage across Ballybeg, threatening to shoot livestock, evict villagers and destroy homes if he is not found.

Brian Friel was one of Ireland’s greatest playwrights,  although born in Tyrone, he lived in Muff and Greencastle and is buried in Glenties. Friel’s works have been performed all over the world, from Broadway to the West End, from the Abbey Theatre to the Tyrone Guthrie Centre in Minneapolis.