Press releases

MINSK, 5 April (BelTA) – The tenth installment of the international festival of puppet theaters will be held in Minsk from 18 to 21 May, BelTA learned from the Belarusian State Puppet Theater.

The line-up of acts includes 14 shows from seven countries. For the first time ever, the large-scale biennial forum will see theater companies from Iran, Bulgaria, and Spain. The list of participants also includes the best theater companies from France, Israel, Russia, and all state-owned Belarusian theaters. All in all, to date the festival has been visited by more than 60 theaters.

The anniversary edition is set to cater mostly for adults. Traditionally the organizers come up with a program that helps the viewers not only see new and critically acclaimed productions but also touch every genre of today’s puppetry. This year’s program is an amazing mixture of choreography, mime art, and classical forms of theater.

The Belarusian shows are going to be especially catchy this time. Domestic theater companies are set to put on show their latest works created at the junction of tradition and experiment.

The children’s program will feature touching shows from Israel (Tailor Made by The Train Theater) and Vitebsk (Umka by the Belarusian theater Lyalka).

The puppet theater forum will traditionally include master classes and discussions with viewers and critics. Another highlight will be a unique evening of theater music by the band Nagual that will present compositions written especially for puppetries.

The festival will take place at five venues across Minsk: the Belarusian State Puppet Theater, the New Drama Theater, the National Theater of Belarusian Drama, the Belarusian State Youth Theater, and the small stage of the Yanka Kupala National Academic Theater.

The organizers are the Belarusian Culture Ministry, Minsk City Hall, and the Belarusian State Puppet Theater.