Director Avtandil Varsimashvili awarded at Ukrainian theatre festival
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Georgia’s acclaimed theatre director Avtandil Varsimashvili has claimed principal awards at the International Theatre Festival 'Melpomene of Tavria', with two of his productions honoured with prizes at the event.
Varsimashvili’s stagings The Government Inspector and Richard III turned out the highlights of the Ukrainian festival, receiving Best Direction and Best Big Stage Production awards respectively.
Staged after 1836 satirical play Revizor by the Russian and Ukrainian dramatist Nikolai Gogol, The Government Inspector was played at the event by Tbilisi’s Alexander Griboedov Russian Drama Theatre.
A scene from ‘The Government Inspector’, awarded the Best Direction prize. Photo: Griboedov Theatre.
The 2015 Georgian Production of the Year-winning show was on festival stage on May 26, Georgia’s Independence Day.
In another performance at the event, Richard III was presented by actors of the Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theatre of Ukraine’s capital Kiev, where Varsimashvili staged the production last year.
Beside the two principal prizes, Varsimashvili’s staging for Richard III earned four more awards for actors involved in the performance.
Bogdan Benyuk received the Best Actor award for his part in the work, with Tatiana Shlyakhova awarded the Best Actress prize.
Varsimashvili’s staging of ‘Richard III’ was honoured with Best Big Stage Production award. Photo: Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theatre.
Secondary role performers Oleg Stalchuk and Natalia Korpan were also honoured for their performance, with Stalchuk portraying the role of Gloucester and Korpan playing Queen Margaret.
Varsimashvili’s productions were part of the 19th edition of 'Melpomene of Tavria', hosted in the city of Kherson.
Named after the Muse of Tragedy from the Greek mythology, the festival has attracted 130 theatre companies from 20 countries since its founding in 1999.
Tatiana Shlyakhova received the Best Actress prize for her part in ‘Richard III’. Photo: Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theatre.
Avtandil Varsimashvili has been honoured with Georgian and international theatre awards for his stagings.
The list of prizes received by the director include the 2015 Production of the Year Award in Georgia for The Government Inspector.
The Tbilisi-based theatre creator has also been awarded the Grand Prix of the International Theatre Forum "Golden Knight” for the production Kholstomer. The Story of a Horse.
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