THE OVERCOAT

Nikolai Gogol

Absurd Tale in One Act

Griboedov Theatre, Tbilisi, Georgia

Director: Avtandil Varsimashvili

Performed in Russian with Hungarian interpretation

The renowned Georgian director - who doubles as Artistic Director of Griboyedov State Academic Russian Drama Theatre, Tbilisi - Avtandil Varsimashvili has staged a highly original adaptation of one of Gogol's most famous works "The Overcoat". Demolishing established stage clichés, the play's ad hoc spontaneous dynamic has the audience encountering not the classical Gogol characters, but virtuoso actors performing the absurd story of "The Overcoat" here and now. The performance is a strange fairy-tale fantasy, a dream seen through a magical prism, with Love as its central theme. The protagonist Akaky Akakievich Basmachkin is not a worn-out, clumsy little man, but a creative personality - an artist of belles-lettres who, instead of dreaming of an overcoat, yearns for love. And just when he seems to have found it, this love is stolen from him...

Adapted for the stage and directed by Avtandil Varsimashvili, winner of Georgia's State Prize and Marjanishvili Prize

Stage designer - Mirian Shvelidze, National Artist of Georgia

Costume designer - Theo Kukhianidze

Choreographer - Gia Margania

Musical director - Eliso Ordzhonikidze

Akaky Akakievich Bashmachkin - Apollon Kublashvili

Also featuring

Valery Haryutchenko

Mikhail Ardzhevanidze

Archil Baratashvili

Anna Nikolava

Nino Kikacheishvili

Mariam Kitia

Giga Kakubava

Sophia Lomjaria

Director

Avtandil Varsimashvili

Gobbi Hilda Stage

Avtandil Varsimashvili

Famous Georgian director Avtandil Varsimashvili is one of the famous directors in Georgia. He is Artistic Director of the state academic Griboedov Theater and “Liberty Theatre”. He has been awarded with Georgian State National Award, State Higher Theatrical Award of Kote Marjanishvili, Award named after Mikheil Tumanishvili, winner of the Grand Prix “Zolotoi Vityaz” festival, and has many other international theatrical festival awards. Has received “Order of Honor of Georgia”.

He is the Full Professor of “The Tbilisi Theatre and Cinema University” and delivers master classes for directors and Georgia and in other countries. He has staged over 100 plays, one film, 7 TV films and 14 documentaries. Beside Georgia he worked in Italy, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Finland, Estonia and Hungary.

Gallery