ITI Graduates Present Othello at Craiova International Shakespeare Festival

ITI alumni have taken to the global stage, staging their production of William Shakespeare’s Othello on 24th and 25th May at the prestigious Craiova International Shakespeare Festival in Romania.

The production was originally developed as ITI’s final-year production, directed by multi-award-winning Hong Kong director Tang Shu-wing in collaboration with Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay. Staged at the Esplanade Theatre Studio, Tang’s adaptation of Othello strips the play to its emotional core, highlighting its relevance today through his signature use of minimalist aesthetics.Tang’s bold approach to Shakespeare’s classic tragedy explores jealousy, love, betrayal – and the consequences of living in a constructed reality that seeks to divide and destroy.

Performed by graduates Aditi Venkateshwaran, Kunal Dara, Sanat Mehta, and Surendran Ananthan, the show was featured at Craiova's Colibri Theatre, followed by a post-show discussion moderated by the European Shakespeare Research Association (ESRA).

The international festival run marks a significant milestone for the cohort, showcasing ITI's intensive, practice-based actor training programme to a global audience of practitioners, researchers, and theatre-goers.

ITI congratulates the cast and production team on bringing this production to the world stage!