This essay draws upon the experience of writing versions of three plays by Ramón del Valle-Inclán for very different productions on stage and radio: Bohemian Lights, The Barbarous Comedies, and Divine Words. It considers decisions taken at verbal level to accommodate the demands of different production styles. More importantly, it examines strategies used in all three adaptations and productions, chiefly of radical relocation to an Irish milieu, to re-create the form and impact of Valle's highly distinctive 'esperpento' form. The conclusion is that while verbal adequacy and theatrical appropriateness are at odds, it is still possible across a variety of productions to remain faithful to the spirit and form of Valle's innovative and eminently challenging vision, through a process of 'transubstantiation'.