Together with the Embassy of Romania to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, we welcome Vlad Drăgulescu, President of the Craiova Shakespeare International Festival to London in a preview event aimed at presenting to British audiences one of the most vibrant international theatre festivals in Romania.
Vlad Drăgulescu will be in conversation with RCI Director, Aura Woodward. The opening remarks will be delivered by HE Laura Popescu, Ambassador of Romania. The discussion will cover themes such as the history of the Festival, innovations introduced in its recent editions, major productions staged over the years, and, of course, a presentation of the most important moments of this year’s edition and will be accompanied by various video materials on the current and previous editions of the Festival.
The Craiova International Shakespeare Festival will take place from 21 to 31 May 2026, under the theme WILL Matters – an invitation to discover will as a creative energy, in a city that, for 11 days, transforms into an open stage with 450 shows! WILL matters starts from a simple yet powerful idea: through will, what we think and dream becomes reality. Today, Shakespeare matters as living energy, constantly renewed by the stage and the audience's eyes. The festival is a total urban experience, where Craiova vibrates simultaneously across multiple spaces and rhythms. An event where every participant – spectator, artist, volunteer, partner – feels they have a place and a voice: the festival is both lived and co-created.
Founded in 1994, the Festival opened its inaugural edition with As You Like It by Cheek by Jowl, directed by Declan Donnellan. The first edition also bore the mark of the literary genius of its patron and of director Silviu Purcărete’s artistry: his celebrated Titus Andronicus, staged at the National Theatre of Craiova with Ștefan Iordache in the leading role, gained international recognition. Since April 23, 1994 - celebrated worldwide as Shakespeare’s birthday and, in the Orthodox Christian world, as Saint George’s Day - the Festival’s founder, Emil Boroghină, has been the custodian of the inaugural gong for every edition.
The Craiova International Shakespeare Festival is a founding member of the European Shakespeare Festivals Network, based in Gdańsk, where the Shakespeare Theatre was inaugurated in 2014. In the same year, the square in front of the National Theatre of Craiova was named William Shakespeare Square, and a statue of the Bard of Avon was unveiled by the Speaker of the House of Commons, London, during an official visit to Romania. The Festival is also included in The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare (2015), edited by Michael Dobson, Stanley Wells, Will Sharpe, and Erin Sullivan.
Vlad Drăgulescu is the President of the Craiova International Shakespeare Festival and the Artistic Director of the “Marin Sorescu” National Theatre in Craiova. He has been involved in organising the festival since 2014, contributing to the development of its artistic concept and the expansion of its international reach. He coordinated the 2018, 2020 Home Edition, 2022 and 2024 editions, as well as projects that have brought theatre closer to the community, public spaces and young audiences. Since 2021, he has been Vice-President of the European Shakespeare Festivals Network. He is also the initiator of the international project HEKTOMERON – 100 Days / 100 Stories / 100 Directors from 100 Countries, produced at the National Theatre in Craiova, and of the event Purcărete Week – 50 Years of Excellence in Theatre, both of which were awarded by UNITER for their originality. He has an interdisciplinary background, with studies in acting and intercultural relations, and extensive experience in cultural management, artistic creation and community projects. Before joining the team at the National Theatre in Craiova, he initiated and coordinated independent cultural projects, founded the “Teatrulescu” Company and the “Teatrul Cel Mai Mic”, and, between 2012 and 2016, led the Oltenia Philharmonic in Craiova and the “Craiova Muzicală International Festival”.
