Milwaz Productions is honoured to share that we have been officially selected to represent Trinidad and Tobago at the Verona Fringe Shakespeare Festival 2026 in Verona, Italy from 10th-27th July, 2026. This prestigious invitation marks a landmark achievement not only for our company but for the wider Caribbean theatre community, as it offers a global stage on which we can present our innovative, culturally grounded interpretation of Shakespeare through a distinct Caribbean lens. It is a rare opportunity for cultural promotion, international exposure, and economic value.

ABOUT MILWAZ PRODUCTIONS
Established in Trinidad and Tobago, Milwaz Productions is a dynamic educational and performing arts company dedicated to the experiential study and creative expression of English and Literatures in English. We engage students, teachers, and communities nationwide through theatre workshops, Shakespearean adaptations, and literary productions that highlight Caribbean identity, language, rhythm, and storytelling. Our works include adaptation of “A Raisin in the Sun”, “Love is the Gatsby Affair”, “Othello”, “Wajang Therapy: The Taming of the Shrew”, “The Tempest”, “Twelfth Night”, Othello: The Moor of Venice, ANANSI” and have successful conducted two Educational Shakespearean Tours for twenty-five (25) travellers in 2018 to The American Shakespeare Centre, Virginia, USA and for fifty-two (52) literary enthusiasts in 2024 to Shakespeare Globe & Royal Shakespeare Centre, Stratford Upon Avon & Central London UK. Each of the aforementioned theatrical experiences garnered support from the Ministry of Education and attracted hundreds of students who viewed these performances for academic purposes as we transformed classical texts into accessible, culturally resonant performances that celebrate our nation’s voice on the local stage.

ABOUT THE VERONA FRINGE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
Hosted annually in Verona, Italy, the historic home of Romeo and Juliet, the Verona Fringe Shakespeare Festival (VSF) is an international gathering of innovative theatre companies. It celebrates intercultural, multilingual, and experimental approaches to Shakespeare, inviting global artists to reimagine the Bard’s works through their unique cultural perspectives. Participation in this festival allows emerging and professional troupes to engage in workshops, performances, and collaborations with directors and scholars from around the world. This year Verona Fringe Shakespeare Festival partners with World Shakespeare Congress – International Shakespeare Association for their 50th Anniversary Conference (July 20–26, 2026). Therefore, Verona Fringe Shakespeare Festival issued a public call for productions and project proposals for its 2026 edition, explicitly seeking new, untried, experimental or multilingual Shakespeare-inspired works, international co-productions, devised theatre, and intersectional live/digital performance. It is their intent to offer a vibrant lab-studio-platform where theatrical companies from around the world, including those from the Caribbean, can present fresh interpretations of Shakespeare, engage in exchange with scholars and peers from the World Shakespeare Congress, and thereby intersect practice with academic discourse.

WHY THIS OPPORTUNITY MATTERS
Milwaz Productions’ participation at VSF 2026 will encourage:

• Cultural diplomacy: Our participation places Trinidad & Tobago on the stage of international Shakespeare discourse and performance; amplifying our cultural voice.
• Creative industry uplift/ Knowledge Transfer: It opens pathways for local artists/ educators to engage with global best-practice, which can raise standards and create new opportunities at home in Trinidad and Tobago and improve support given to teachers and students of English Language & English Literature.
• Tourism and cultural branding: Highlighting a Trinidadian company in a major Italian festival helps build our cultural brand globally, potentially attracting interest in our arts scene.