Ranjit Bolt
Ranjit Bolt OBE is a British playwright and translator. He was born in Manchester of Anglo-Indian parents and is the nephew of playwright and screenwriter Robert Bolt. His father is literary critic Sydney Bolt, author of several books including A preface to James Joyce, and his mother has worked as a teacher of English.
Life and career
Bolt was educated at The Perse School and Balliol College, Oxford. He worked as a stockbroker for eight years but "was desperate to escape, any escape route would have done, and translating turned out to be the one". As well as his plays, he has published a novel in verse, Losing it and a verse translation for children of the fables of La Fontaine, The Hare and the Tortoise. His version of Cyrano de Bergerac opened on New York at the Roundabout Theatre in September 2012, with Douglas Hodge in the title role. His adaptation of Volpone for Sir Trevor Nunn, was produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company in the summer of 2015.He was awarded the OBE in 2003 for services to literature.
Translation of Molière's Le Tartuffe
Ranjit Bolt’s 1991 translation of Molière’s 1664 masterpiece Tartuffe into English rhyming couplets, revised for a British stage production in 2002, is noted for its bold, colloquial, and humorous approach. Bolt’s version adopts a modern, shorter comic meter—typically four beats per line—while freely expanding or contracting the original’s structure to emphasize wit and accessibility. Unlike literal translations, Bolt prioritizes comedic effect and contemporary resonance over strict fidelity to Molière’s line count or phrasing.The 2002 revision notably abbreviates some of Cléante’s speeches, a choice that has drawn mixed reactions.
Critics have debated whether Bolt’s approach “dumbs down” Molière’s work or revitalizes its satirical edge for modern audiences. While some argue that the translation reflects Bolt’s voice as much as Molière’s, others praise its irreverent energy and theatrical vitality. The result is a version of Tartuffe that, while not universally accepted as faithful to the original, is celebrated for its humor, verve, and appeal to contemporary audiences.
Views
Asked about his approach to translating plays, he has said:In August 2014, Bolt was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to The Guardian opposing Scottish independence in the run-up to September's referendum on that issue.
Publications
Bolt has translated many classic plays into English, most of them into verse. Among his works are:L'Invitation au Chateau by Jean AnouilhThree Sisters from the play by Anton ChekhovThe Bacchae by the play by EuripidesThe Liar from Le Menteur by Pierre CorneilleThe Illusion from L'Illusion Comique by Pierre CorneilleThe Real Don Juan from Don Juan Tenorio by José Zorrilla y Moral Tartuffe from the play by MolièreLysistrata from the play by AristophanesThe Venetian Twins from the play by Carlo GoldoniLe Cid from the play by Pierre CorneilleThe Miser from L'Avare by MolièreThe Oedipus Plays The Art of Seduction from La Double Inconstance by Pierre MarivauxCyrano de Bergerac from the play by Edmond RostandThe Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui from the play by Bertolt BrechtThe Marriage of Figaro from the play by Pierre BeaumarchaisMerry Wives - The Musical from The Merry Wives of Windsor by William ShakespeareMirandolina from The Mistress of the Inn the play by Carlo GoldoniThe Grouch from Le Misanthrope by MolièreWaltz of the Toreadors from the play by Jean AnouilhBelieve it or not from Le Puff by Eugène ScribeGeorge Dandin from the play by MolièreHercules from the work by SenecaThe Idiot from L'Étourdi by MolièreScapin from Les Fourberies de Scapin by MolièreThe School for Wives from the play by MolièreThe Sisterhood from Les Femmes Savantes by MolièreA Flea In Her Ear from the play by Georges Feydeau- "Much Ado About Nothing" by William Shakespeare, adapted and translated in a modern version by Bolt
- "Three Men In A Boat" Adaptation by Ranjit Bolt, book and lyrics for a musical. A Knight with a Big Blue Balloon. Collection of jokes and wordplay. Published by Gibson Square.A Lion Was Learning To Ski. Limericks. Published by Gibson Square.The Art Of Translation. Published by Oberon Books, 2010.