Ariadne Theatre & Lab

27/04/2026

Thank you the Romanian Cultural Institute in London for all your support and for hosting this project!

26/04/2026

Taming of The Shrew, the cast, at York International Shakespeare Festival.

26/04/2026

Our presence at The York International Shakespeare Festival was a great accomplishment. Thank you Phillip Parr and the Romanian Cultural Institute in London for all your support!
Thank you the wonderful actors Maria Alexe, Eddie Pop, Halima Habil and Alin Balascan!

24/04/2026

Thank you RCI London, Aura Woodword, Raluca Cimpoiasu, Raluca Moisan, Anabela si Gabriela Mocan pentru tot sprijinul acordat! ❤️

21/04/2026

Rehearsal, Taming of The Shrew.
Halima Habil, Alin Balascan, Maria Alexe, Eddie Pop.

21/04/2026

Rehearsal, Taming of The Shrew.
Maria Alexe and Eddie Pop.

21/04/2026

Meet the director, Ema Nicola.

Meet Ema Nicola, the director bringing Shakespeare’s "The Taming of the Shrew" to life on our Belgravian stage!

We look forward to seeing you all on Thursday 23 April, 7:30 PM, at the Romanian Cultural Institute in London.

EMA NICOLA graduated from the National University of Theatre and Film “I.L. Caragiale” in Bucharest, specialising in Theatre Directing, and holds a Master’s degree in Audiovisual Programmes. Since 1997, she has directed numerous theatre productions, including Începem by I.L. Caragiale, Antony and Cleopatra by Shakespeare, Pulcinella in Love, The Cherry Orchard by A.P. Chekhov, The Crucible by Arthur Miller, East of Eden (after John Steinbeck), Our Father Who Art in the Supermarket by Petre Barbu, The Beauty Queen of Leenane by Martin McDonagh, and The Tricked Husband by Molière. She has also collaborated with Radio Iași, directing radio plays such as The Tricked Husband, Decomposed Theatre by Matei Vișniec, The Garbage Man by Mimi Brănescu, and The Beauty Queen of Leenane. In 2003, she adapted and directed Nijinski, based on The Diary of Vaslav Nijinski, a production that inaugurated the Metropolis Theatre in Bucharest. Since 2010, she has worked as a producer and director for Senso TV, coordinating the “Arte” channel. Among her projects is the documentary In the Middle of Nowhere, premiered at the Gărâna International Jazz Festival in 2012, featuring interviews with internationally renowned artists such as Jean-Luc Ponty, Zakir Hussain, Avishai Cohen, Jan Garbarek, Charles Lloyd, Terje Rypdal, Patricia Barber, and Aura Urziceanu, among others. She has also conducted extensive interviews with leading figures from the worlds of theatre and the arts. In 2025, she directed The Bald Prima Donna by Eugen Ionesco in London. The production premiered at the Romanian Cultural Institute and was subsequently staged at the Barons Court Theatre.

17/04/2026

Meet Eddie Pop.

Meet the actors! ✨

Say hello to a versatile member of the cast, taking on multiple roles in our reimagined production of Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew”. Directed by Ema Nicola, the performance will be presented at the Romanian Cultural Institute in London next week. 🎭

EDDIE POP is a Romanian-Hungarian actor and producer based in London, and a graduate of East 15 Acting School from the BA Acting course. His theatre credits include Orestes in “Oresteia” by Robert Icke at the Corbett Theatre, Nate in “Oil” by Ella Hickson at Hoxton Hall, Thomas in “The Summer After Dad Died” alongside Quid Pro Quo Theatre Company at the Hen and Chickens Theatre, and Edmund in “King Lear”. In addition to his acting career, Eddie founded his own production company, ATSALI, through which he produced and acted in the pilot episode of “Scary Touch”. The project received recognition at the “London Horror Film Festival”, where it was nominated for “Best Web/Series Pilot”.

🗓 Date: Thursday 23 April, 7:30 pm
📍 Venue: RCI London, 1 Belgrave Square, London SW1X8PH

FULLY BOOKED. More details via the link in the comments.

17/04/2026

Meet Maria Alexe!

Meet the cast! ✨

We’re excited to introduce the second actor in our reimagining of Shakespeare’s "The Taming of the Shrew", presented at the Romanian Cultural Institute in London next week.🎭

MARIA ALEXE is a London-based actress with professional experience in theatre, film and voice-over across Romania, Spain and the UK. She trained for her BA in Acting in her native Romania before moving to London to obtain an MA in Acting (International) from East 15 Acting School. She also holds degrees in Acting from Spiru Haret University and in Modern Languages from University of Bucharest. Active since her student years, Maria has appeared in a wide range of productions, from children’s theatre and pantomime to classical plays and performances in unconventional spaces, as well as in short and feature films. She has worked with numerous theatre companies in the UK and internationally, including Badac, Playades, Face2Face and Lazarus, touring extensively across the UK and Spain. Her theatre credits include The Spanish Tragedy, Oedipus, Penthesilea, A Dream Play, A Leap of Faith and Mengele, alongside pantomime productions such as Aladdin and Jack and the Beanstalk. In film, she has appeared in the feature Memento Amare and a number of UK and international short films. As a voice-over artist, she records for museum guides, corporate training materials and animation dubbing. She has collaborated on multiple occasions with the Romanian Cultural Institute. In 2020, she co-founded the bilingual online channel Stories with Tincuța, dedicated to stories and poems for children. Alongside her acting career, Maria works as a London tour guide and language tutor.

📍 Venue: RCI London, 1 Belgrave Square, London SW1X8PH
🗓 Date: Thursday 23 April, 7:30 pm

FULLY BOOKED. More details via the link in the comments.

15/04/2026

Meet the cast! ✨

Next week, Shakespeare’s world is coming to life at the Romanian Cultural Institute in London with "The Taming of the Shrew". Expect mischief, charm, and join us behind the scenes as we get to know the brilliant actors taking the stage. 🎭

ALIN BALASCAN is a British-Romanian actor who trained at East 15 Acting School in London. He later undertook further training in Shakespeare with the Royal Shakespeare Company and at Shakespeare's Globe. During his time at the Globe, he played Angus in Macbeth, directed by Joanne Howarth. He subsequently explored the work of Harold Pinter at The Cockpit Theatre, where he appeared in Night and No Man’s Land. In 2013, he made his West End debut in the spectacular production In the Beginning Was the End at Somerset House, performing a double role that received mentions in several publications, including The Guardian. He also appeared in the UK premiere of Saviana Stănescu’s Aliens with Extraordinary Skills at Leicester Square Theatre. This marks his fourth collaboration with the Romanian Cultural Institute, following DADA 100, Jonah (by Marin Sorescu) and Ecaterina. On screen, Alin has appeared in the Netflix series Sn**ch, alongside Rupert Grint, Lucien Laviscount, Dougray Scott, Luke Pasqualino and Tamer Hassan, as well as in The Power (Amazon Prime), with Toheeb Jimoh and Risteard Cooper. In Romania, he had a guest role in the television series Om bogat, om sărac. He is currently working towards further roles in international film and television.

📍 Venue: RCI London, 1 Belgrave Square, London SW1X8PH
🗓 Date: Thursday 23 April, 7:30 pm

Free entry, booking required. More details and seat reservations via the link in the comments.