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On 18 April, the Department of English Language and Literature of FA UWB hosted a lecture by Brno English scholars Filip Krajník and Anna Hrdinová, authors of the latest translation of Hamlet and other English Renaissance plays. In a packed lecture hall in Sedláčkova Street, students learned why classical dramatic works need to be constantly re-translated to reflect the current language and culture, and appeal to the new generation of readers and audiences. Such a venture is being carried out by a tandem of teachers and students of English Studies in Brno, where a new translation of Hamlet, designed for theatrical production and created in collaboration with theatre professionals, has been born.

In addition to Shakespeare's plays, the team, called Student Renaissance, plans to introduce other lesser-known English plays to the Czech public, some of which have not been translated into Czech at all. Another translation will soon be rehearsed on the stage - the play Edward II, in which the fate of perhaps the worst monarch in English history was portrayed by Shakespeare's contemporary, Renaissance dandy and adventurer Christopher Marlowe.

But the ambitious project won't stop with the Renaissance period. Also in the translators' sights are comedies from the Restoration period of the second half of the 17th century, which stand out for their sharp wit and surprisingly modern depiction of the vicissitudes of human relationships. According to the lecturers, these are in fact a kind of early modern sitcoms full of love entanglements, infidelity, eroticism and sharp social irony. The freshly translated plays combined with modern scenographic techniques could become a hit on Czech stages.

Students from all over the country can join the Student Renaissance project and contribute not only in the form of translation but also in visual art. The project can be followed on Instagram on the studentska_renesance profile.