Sophie Magnaud is a French translator, actress and director.
She’s trained at the Cours Florent and the AIDAS (Académie Internationale des Arts du Spectacle).
As an actress, she worked under the direction of Jean-Pierre Vincent, Carlo Boso, Guy Pion, Aurélien Portehaut, Lesley Chatterley (in English), Christine Farenc (in English), Luis Rabell (in Spanish)…
In 2007, she sets up her own company with fellow actors. They’ve been touring in Europe with commedia dell’arte shows ever since.
She’s also an opera director (DIDO & AENEAS, H. Purcell, LA GRANDE-DUCHESSE DE GÉROLSTEIN, J. Offenbach and LE BARBIER DE SÉVILLE, G. Rossini, directed with G. Durand). As an assistant, she worked with Jean-Pierre Vincent (CANCRELAT, Sam Holcroft / drama) and Caroline Dumas (LE TROUVÈRE, G. Verdi + SAMSON ET DALILA, C. Saint-Saëns + CARMEN, G. Bizet + CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA, P. Mascagni / opera).
As a drama translator, Sophie is a member of the English Committee of the Maison Antoine Vitez – dedicated to the translation into French of plays from all languages – since 2006.
She translated (alone or in collaboration) plays by Sam Holcroft, Penelope Skinner, Isabel Wright, debbie tucker green, Julie Hébert, Helen Benedict, Mark Ravenhill, Sarah Grochala, Dan Horrigan, Anna Jordan…
Besides, she’s been facilitating theatre workshops in difficult social environements (teenagers in deprived neighbourhoods, convicts, newly arrived immigrants in literacy courses…) for almost 15 years.
TRANSLATION WORK
• Working freelance since 2007
• Member of the English reading committee of the Maison Antoine Vitez since 2006
Drama
• S-27 (original title: S-27) by S. Grochala (in progress).
• Yen (original title: Yen) by A. Jordan, translated with Séverine Magois (in progress).
• Pourtant je vois mon Enfant (original title: Still I See My Baby) by DB Horrigan.
.• mauvaise (original title: born bad) by debbie tucker green, translated with Sarah Vermande and Gisèle Joly, with the support of the Maison Antoine Vitez; staged reading by S. Loucachescky at the Théâtre de la Colline; public reading by the Comédie Française; public reading Mousson d’été; staged by Sébastien Derrey, T2G / TNS / MC93; published by Théâtrales.
• Les Règles du je(u) (original title: Rules for Living) by S. Holcroft, reading Lundis en Coulisse / Théâtre de l’Aquiarium.
• Seule – Paroles de soldates en Iraq (original title: The Lonely Soldier Monologues) by H. Benedict, collective translation, public reading La Mousson d’été; public reading Printemps des comédiens.
• Linda (original title: Linda) by Penelope Skinner, translated with Dominique Hollier.
• Shoot / Get Treasure / Repeat by M. Ravenhill – plays 8 and 15, staged by JP Vincent under the name War & Breakfast, Festival des Nuits de Fourvière; published by Les Solitaires Intempestifs; recorded for France Culture radio.
• L’Arbre (original title: Tree) by J. Hebert, translated with the support of the Maison Antoine Vitez, reading Lundis en Coulisse / Théâtre Narration.
• Edgar et Annabel (original title: Edgar & Annabel) by S. Holcroft, translated with the support of the Maison Antoine Vitez, public reading at L’Odéon Théâtre de l’Europe; nominated for the Scenic Youth Prize.
• À Vif (original title: Blooded) by I. Wright, public reading La Mousson d’hiver; extracts published in Étonnantes écritures pour la jeunesse / Éditions Théâtrales.
• En roue libre (original title: The Village Bike) by P. Skinner, translated with Dominique Hollier, public reading Mousson d’hiver; staged by C. Stavisky, Théâtre Les Ateliers and tours in France and Switzerland.
• La Maison envahie (original title: The House Taken Over) by S. Holcroft, translation of the libretto for an opera by Vasco Mendonça, directed by Katie Mitchell, commissioned by the Festival international d’art lyrique d’Aix-en-Provence.
• Cancrelat (original title: Cockroach) by S. Holcroft, translated with the support of the Maison Antoine Vitez and Théâtre Ouvert, published by Tapuscrit / Théâtre Ouvert, staged by JP Vincent at Théâtre Ouvert and the Festival d’Avignon In; recorded for France Culture radio.
• Les cinq Femmes de Maurice Pinder (original title: The five Wives of Maurice Pinder) by M. Charman – collective work by the English committee of the Maison Antoine Vitez, public reading XXe Théâtre.
Other
• Press kit for the show A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams (Compagnie Théâtre du Voir)
• Les Médecins et le tabac : le grand défi de la médecine (original title: Doctors and Tobacco: Medicine’s Big Challenge) by D. Simpson (Tobacco Control Resource Centre)
• Tourist guides edited by Hachette
• Transcription and translation of video tapes (social integration programme: HIPPY)
• Marketing manuals
• …
ACTING
French
• Courtesan Lucrezia in Scaramuccia, Commedia dell’Arte, collective work directed by Carlo Boso, Avignon Festival, several festivals, tours in Italy, Spain and Portugal.
• Patchouli the witch in Il Falso Magnifico, Commedia dell’Arte, collective work directed by Carlo Boso, Avignon Festival, several festivals in Europe.
• The narrator in Cancrelat by Sam Holcroft, directed by Jean-Pierre Vincent, Chapelle des Pénitents blancs (Avignon Festival In) + Théâtre Ouvert. Radio broadcasting: France Culture.
• Hortense Schneider in Offenbach en folie by Jacques Offenbach, directed by Caroline Dumas, Festival De Bouche à Oreille.
• The storyteller in Il Trovatore by G. Verdi (opera), directed by Caroline Dumas, Festival De Bouche à Oreille + L’Avant-Seine + Salle Gaveau + UNESCO.
• Kate in La Femme comme champ de bataille by Matéi Visniec, directed by Elisa Millot, Théâtre des Roches.
• Suzanne in 3 nuits pas plus by J. Dousset, directed by J. Dousset and A. Portehaut, Théâtre Tallia + Les Deux Rêves.
• The balloon seller in La poupée abandonnée by Sastre, directed by Guy Pion, Studio Pathé Albatros.
• Rich woman, masculine woman and teenager in Le Bal, adapted from E. Scola’s film, directed by Martine Hébette, dance, Studio Pathé Albatros.
• Beatrice in Arlequin valet de deux maîtres by C. Goldoni, directed by Carlo Boso, Studio Pathé Albatros.
• The Sister in Roberto Zucco by Bernard Marie Koltès, directed by Danuta Zarazik, Studio Pathé Albatros.
• Annabelle in Tableau de Famille, collective work, directed by Mourad Berreni, Théâtre de l’Echo.
• Déesse in Le Langue à Langue des Chiens de Roche by Daniel Danis, directed by Christine Farenc, Théâtre de Nesle.
English
• Eunice in A Streetcar named Desire by Tennessee Williams, directed by Christine Farenc, Compagnie Théâtre du Voir.
• Several roles in 4.48 psychosis by Sarah Kane/Attempts on her Life by Martin Crimp, directed by Lesley Chatterley, Théâtre Ecole Florent.
• Marge Murray in The Laramie Project by Moises Kaufman, directed by Lesley Chatterley, Théâtre Ecole Florent.
• Macha in The Seagull by Anton Chekhov, directed by Lesley Chatterley, Théâtre Ecole Florent.
Spanish
• La antropóloga in Patrio 2000, written and directed by Luis Rabell, Theatre Corral de Comedias, Querétaro, Mexico.
• Catwoman in Street parade, organised by Luis Rabell, Querétaro, Mexico.
• Several small parts in comedies, Theatre Corral de Comedias, Querétaro, Mexico.
DIRECTING
• Dido and AEneas by H. Purcell (opera), directed by S. Magnaud and G. Durand, Festival Dialogues en Humanité / tour in France to be coming soon.
• La Grande Duchesse de Gerolstein by J. Offenbach (opera), directed by S. Magnaud and G. Durand, Festival Dialogues en Humanité + Festival De Bouche à Oreille + tour in France.
• Il barbiere di Siviglia by G. Rossini (opera), directed by S. Magnaud and G. Durand, Festival Dialogues en Humanité + tour in France.
• Assistant for Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni (opera), directed by C. Dumas, Festival Dialogues en Humanité, Festival Couleurs Mundo + tour in France.
• Assistant for Carmen by G. Bizet (opera), directed by C. Dumas, Festival Dialogues en Humanité + tour in France.
• Assistant for Il barbiere di Siviglia by G. Rossini (opera), directed by C. Dumas, Festival De Bouche à Oreille.
• Assistant for Cancrelat (Cockroach) by S. Holcroft, directed by JP Vincent, Théâtre Ouvert + Festival d’Avignon In.
• Assistant for Samson et Dalila by C. Saint-Saëns (opera), directed by C. Dumas, Festival De Bouche à Oreille, L’Avant-Seine.
• Assistant for Il Trovatore by G. Verdi (opera), directed by C. Dumas, Festival De Bouche à Oreille + L’Avant-Seine + Salle Gaveau + UNESCO.
• Assistant for Carmen by G. Bizet (opera), directed by C. Dumas, Opéra Comique, Femme Dynamisante de Clarins.
• Marche ou rêve, written and directed by S. Magnaud, Centre social N. Mandela, Espace M. Carné St Michel sur Orge.
• Assistant for Sur le Théâtre de Marionnettes, by H. Von Kleist, directed by V. Németh, Théâtre de l’Atalante.
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
Translation
• Institut de Perfectionnement en Langues Vivantes / Angers
• Master’s Degree in English
• Diplôme d’Université de Traduction (Postgraduate diploma in translation / English and Spanish)
Including Business and Economics / European Institutions / Management / Interpreting /British and American civilisation and literature.
• Diploma of the Franco-British Chamber of Commerce in Business English
• Certificate in Business Spanish (1rst and advanced levels).
• Certificate of Proficiency in English + option: Translation – grade B
Acting
• Académie Internationale des Arts du Spectacle (Drama School)– Directed by Carlo Boso
• Cours Florent (Drama School)
• English Summer School of Arts and Language, Winchester University