One of the most acclaimed contemporary Georgian theatre directors David Doiashvili premiered his brand-new Shakespeare production King Lear at a major Romanian theatre on Sunday.
The National Theatre Bucharest hosted Doiashvili's play for the first of five planned shows over the next month, with the staging featuring a cast of Romanian theatre actors.
Involving choreography by Florin Fieroiu and costumes by Liliana Cenean, the production featured music by Georgian composer Nikoloz Rachveli.
The premiere marked the first appearance of 'King Lear' at the Theatre in 46 years. Photo from the National Theatre Bucharest.
Doiashvili's staging represented the first appearance of Shakespeare's famous 1605 tragedy at the Romanian theatre in 46 years. The previous version was created by local director Radu Penciulescu.
The plot of the original story follows its principal character as he descends into madness after giving his bequests to daughters, abandoning the kingdom of his reign.
The tragedy has been widely adopted for theatre and film and is regarded as one of Shakespeare's greatest works.
Doiashvili's work featured a cast of Romanian actors. Photo from the National Theatre Bucharest.
The play will be presented at the Bucharest theatre over the next four weeks, with shows scheduled on December 17, 18 and 29 as well as January 8, 2017.
Praised as "one of the major directors of the contemporary theatrical world" by the Bucharest theatre, Doiashvili has staged successful productions both in Georgia and at Eastern European venues in recent years.
Earlier this year his play The Lower Depths was presented by actors of Tbilisi-based Vaso Abashidze Music and Drama State Theatre during the Madach International Theatre Meeting festival in Hungary's capital Budapest.
Director David Doiashvili (C) leads a rehearsal of 'King Lear' ahead of its premiere. Photo from www.secundatv.ro.
Doiashvili also won praise for his staging of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the New European Theatre Action Festival 2015 in Bucharest.
Another of his contemporary productions Introspection - The Story About Us was also seen by theatre-goers at the Tribeca Performing Arts Centre in New York, the United States in January.
Founded in 1852, the National Theatre Bucharest is a major Romanian theatre venue and "one the main promoters of the Romanian image abroad," said the theatre's website.