Baku:The Rezo Gabriadze Puppet Theatre has brought its celebrated play “Alfred and Violetta” to audiences in Baku. This production, originally penned and staged by the renowned Georgian theatre icon Rezo Gabriadze, has been revived in a new rendition.
According to Azeri-Press news agency, before his passing in 2021, Rezo Gabriadze revised the play, with his son, director Leo Gabriadze, completing this latest stage version. In a conversation with journalists, Leo Gabriadze remarked on the theatre’s 46th anniversary and expressed the company’s pleasure in performing in Baku. He noted, “It is a great joy for us to introduce our theatre to Baku audiences and showcase our work.” Leo Gabriadze also reflected on his last visit to Baku in 1982, observing the city’s transformation and expressing gratitude for the warm welcome received.
The play was initially presented as the theatre’s inaugural stage production in 1981 and remained a staple in its repertoire for several years. Approximately six or seven years ago, Rezo Gabriadze updated the play’s setting to 1991. Leo Gabriadze shared a personal connection to the story, having left Georgia for the United States in 1990.
The revised version of “Alfred and Violetta” premiered globally at Teatro Goldoni in Venice in February 2022, garnering the interest of both audiences and theatre critics. The Italian publication La Nuova lauded Gabriadze’s theatrical style, noting its blend of humor and deep sadness, and praised the lifelike and emotionally expressive puppets.