Southern Romania: Craiova Shakespeare Festival 2026 to host seven performances from OFF Avignon Festival

Seven performances from the OFF Avignon Festival, one of the world's largest theater events, will be held at the International Shakespeare Festival in Craiova in 2026, following the establishment of a partnership between the two.

The official launch conference of Shakespeare Of(f) Avignon, which took place at the Village du OFF, was attended by H.E. Mrs. Aurelia Grosu, Consul General of Romania in Marseille, and brought together Vlad Drăgulescu, President of FISC, and Harold David, Co-director of OFF Avignon. The event represented a dialogue about collaboration, living culture, and Shakespeare’s legacy in contemporary Europe, as well as its significance for Romania and France.

The selected performances are:

• “Richard III”, Company: Les Mots Les Corps et La Note (France), Director: Laurent Domingos
• “Romeo and Juliet”, Company: Almaty State Puppet Theater (Kazakhstan), Director: Dina Zhumbaeva
• “Hamlet, la fin d'une enfance”, Company: La Compagnie Les Pies Menteurs (France), Director: Christophe Luthringer
• “Mercutio”, Company: En Scène ! Productions (France), Director: Kévin O. Salles
• “Hamlet Take Away”, Company: Berardi/Casolari, Directors: Gianfranco Berardi, Casolari Gabriella (Italy)
• “Roméo et Juliette... ou presque”, Company: Le Théâtre du Kronope (France), Director: Guy Simon “Macbeth”, Company: CTF (France), Director: Philippe Nicaud

“Over the centuries, Shakespeare has managed to unite people, cultures, and generations. Through Shakespeare Of(f) Avignon, Craiova becomes the host of an extraordinary selection of performances that blend tradition with innovation, emotion with stage experimentation,” said Vlad Drăgulescu, President of FISC.

“Shakespeare Of(f) Avignon allows us to bring to the Romanian audience diverse, bold, and contemporary artistic creations, which nonetheless preserve the power and relevance of Shakespeare’s texts. We are delighted to build together a bridge between Avignon and Craiova, between France and Romania, through the universal language of theater,” added Harold David, Co-director of OFF Avignon.

On the streets of Avignon, the medieval city that transforms every summer into a vibrant stage, hosting over 1,700 performances daily in theater, courtyards, and unconventional spaces, the Shakespeare Caravan – Everywhere presented the installation “The Shakespeare Gallery: Itinerant Sonnets.”

A project dedicated to democratizing and making theater more accessible, carried out in 2025, the caravan will continue its journey through 61 localities in Romania until September.

(Photo source: press release)