Baku Puppet Theater has been operating since 2013 under the Icherisheher State Historical-Architectural Reserve. The theater aims to transfer the country's rich cultural heritage to future generations and preserve national values.
To demonstrate their acting skills outside the country, the theater’s team has applied to participate in the World Puppet Theater Festival.
The 20th World Puppet Theater Festival will be held in France on September 20-29. Baku Puppet Theater will present “Leyli and Majnun” play at the festival, Azertag reported.
“Leyli and Majnun” is a tragic love story, in which the male character Majnun (literally meaning "crazy" in Arabic) goes mad because he cannot be with his beloved Leyli.
The most popular version of this love story was penned by Nizami Ganjavi (1141-1209), who lived and died in Ganja.
The foundation of Baku Puppet Theater was laid by artist and director Tarlan Gorchu in the 1980s. Among others, the theater’s repertoire includes works by the founder of Azerbaijani classical music, playwright Uzeyir Hajibeyli.
The theater was named after the prominent Azerbaijani writer Abdulla Shaig since 1974.
At present, the theater performs in Azerbaijani and Russian languages for children and adults. Plays of Azerbaijani, Russian and western European playwrights are staged in the theater, including “Haji Gara” by Mirza Fatali Akhundov, “The Doctor in Spite of Himself” by Jean Baptiste Moliere, “Almaz” by Jafar Jabbarli, and “Big Ivan” by Sergey Obraztsov.
The World Puppet Theater Festival, founded by Jacques Felix in 1961, has made Charleville-Mezieres the capital of puppetry.
The festival takes place every two years. Every year, about 250 troupes from five continents present their plays to over 150,000 spectators from all over the world.
For 10 days, the festival holds around 200 shows as part of the main event and fringe festival, street shows, meetings, exhibitions and other festivities.