Marjanishvili Theatre on tour: Show delights Italian audiences

Audiences in Italy are learning all about the vibrancy and enthusiasm of Georgian theatre thanks to an international tour by Tbilisi's Kote Marjanishvili State Drama Theatre.

The Georgian troupe launched its nine-day Italy tour on May 17 and saw cast members perform a play titled Diary of a Madman at the Arena del Sole theatre in the northern Italian city of Bologna.

Staged by acclaimed Georgian director Levan Tsuladze, the show combines Georgian and Italian actors and will conclude on May 25.

The play tells the story of a civil servant in 19th Century Russia who descends into insanity. Photo from www.arenadelsole.it.

Tsuladze based the play on one of the best known stories by Russian dramatist Nikolai Gogol (1809-1852), which portrays the life of a civil servant during the 19th Century reign of Tsar Nicholas I in Russia.

Told in the form of a diary, the plot follows its protagonist Poprishchin as he loses his sanity and struggles with reality around him.

Eight actors perform in the 1.5 hour show, which was choreographed by Gia Marghania and had costumes created by Nino Surguladze.

A poster promoting the performances of Marjanishvili Theatre in Italy. Photo from the Marjanishvili Theatre/Facebook.

The cast of actors are Zura Berikashvili, Roberta De Stefano, Eleonora Giovanardi, Ana Grigolia, Nika Kuchava, Leonardo Lidi, Koko Roinishvili and Massimo Scola.

Earlier this month the Marjanishvili Theatre's collaboration with five other European venues was awarded financial support from Creative Europe, a Europe-wide program that supports cultural initiatives.