World leading theatre groups attend Tbilisi Festival of Theatre

World famous theatre companies are coming to Georgia's capital for a two week celebration of theatre.

The annual Tbilisi International Festival of Theatre will come to life tomorrow, and over the next 14 days, performances from local and international theatre troupes will entertain guests at venues sprinkled throughout the capital city.

The Tbilisi International Festival of Theatre is considered one of the highlights of Georgia's cultural calendar. Since its founding in 2009, the festival has presented 250 shows and participated by nearly 400 local and international performing artists.

See the promo video for the 2016 Tbilisi International Festival of Theatre below:

This year famous theatre companies Schaubuehne Theatre of Berlin, Germany, Suzuki Company of Toga, Japan and the Pyotr Fomenko Workshop Theatre from Russia will perform shows in Tbilisi. 

The festival will feature two sections; an International Program and the Georgian Showcase Program, regarded as the major part of the annual event.

Participating in the International Program are nine companies from countries such as Poland, Norway and the United Kingdom.

See the promo video for 'The Marriage of Maria Braun' by Berlin's Schaubuehne Theatre below:

Meanwhile the Georgian Showcase Program will host 25 shows including 13 premieres by over a dozen local theatre companies.

The celebrated Georgian troupes participating in the annual festival include the Kote Marjanishvili State Drama Theatre, who will perform Lost Honour of Katharina Blum, the Royal District Theatre who will perform Prometheus/25 Years of Independence, and Tbilisi State Puppet Theatre with its show June 13.

These and other plays will be performed at over a dozen locations in Tbilisi, ranging from the Rustaveli Theatre to outdoor locations on the newly renovated Aghmashenebeli Ave, to the Georgian National Museum.

A scene from the play 'A Russian on a Rendezvous' by the Pyotr Fomenko Workshop Theatre. Photo from the Pyotr Fomenko Workshop Theatre.

In addition to the shows, the Tbilisi International Festival of Theatre will host master classes, workshops and exhibitions on theatre.

Founded by Tbilisi in 2009, the Tbilisi International Festival of Theatre has become "one of the main performing arts events in Caucasia and Black Sea countries," and it aimed to attract some of the most "well-known, creative, provocative and innovative" troupes from around the world, said its organisers.

This year's festival will conclude on October 8.

See the festival’s full program here.