Griboedov Theatre under spotlight at Ukrainian fest

Theatre-goers visiting the international festival 'Melpomene of Tavria' in southern Ukraine will see Tbilisi’s Griboedov Theatre with their award-winning play The Government Inspector this week.

Going on stage on May 26, Georgian Independence Day, the troupe’s actors will entertain visitors of the event with the 2015 Production of the Year award-winning show.

Directed by Avtandil Varsimashvili, the play is known in Russian as Revizor and based on a 1836 satirical play by the Russian and Ukrainian dramatist Nikolai Gogol.

The play is presented to Georgian and Russian-language audience as 'Revizor'. Photo: Griboedov Theatre.

The original work by Gogol is a satire on widespread political corruption in Imperial Russia, however the Tbilisi theatre promotes its staging as "completely different” from the classical interpretation of the play.

Varsimashvili’s staging premiered in Georgia’s capital in 2015, within celebrations of the 170th anniversary of the theatre.

It was named Production of the Year by the International Association of Theatre Critics and Centre for the Research of Contemporary Georgian Theatre the same year.

Within the awards event Varsimashvili received the Best Direction prize, as composer Eliso Orjonikidze was honoured with the Best Musical Score award. In addition, Apolon Kublashvili named Best Young Actor for his part in the staging.

Varsimashvili's staging was awarded Production of the Year honour in 2015. Photo: Griboedov Theatre.

The Griboedov Theatre troupe has since presented the show at festivals including the International Theatre Festival "Baltic Home” in St Petersburg, Russia and International Theatre Festival "Golden Lion” in Lviv, Ukraine.

Their performance at the 'Melpomene of Tavria' festival will be part of the 19th edition of the event, which opened last week 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, including four appearances by the Griboedov Theatre.

Following the company’s return to Georgia later this week, the Griboedov troupe will also mark International Children’s Day on June 1 with a performance.

The company's production features a "completely different" take on the original play. Photo: Griboedov Theatre.

The theatre will play host to over 500 young audience at the Valerian Gunia State Theatre in Georgia’s Black Sea city Poti for Adventures of Carlson.

Based on the celebrated children’s tale Karlsson-on-the-Roof by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren, the show has been promised to feature a "completely different” take on the tale.

The performance will entertain children from socially underprivileged families and children’s homes as well as disabled kids from across the western Georgian region of Samegrelo.

The Children’s Day program of the theatre will be presented with support of the International Cultural and Educational Union "The Russian Club”.

The theatre was launched in Tbilisi in 1845 and later named after Alexander Griboedov. Photo: Georgian Showcase/Facebook

Established in Tbilisi in 1845, the Alexander Griboedov Russian Drama Theatre is known as the oldest professional theatre in the Caucasus.

The company is named after the celebrated 19th century Russian author, who is buried in Georgia’s capital.

The maiden performance of the troupe presented their take on another Russian writer Maxim Gorky’s best known play The Lower Depths.

Staging classical and modern plays, the company presents its productions in Russian language.

The position of artistic director of the Griboedov Theatre has been held by acclaimed theatre figures including Russian producer Vsevolod Meyerhold and Georgia’s prominent theatre director Kote Marjanishvili.

In 2013 the theatre was honoured with the Grand Prix of the International Theatre Forum "Golden Knight” for the production Kholstomer. The Story of a Horse, staged by Varsimashvili.