Russian theatre good, Russian politics bad

This weekend the RSC offers 'The Complete Russian Experience' as part of its Revolutions programme. Interestingly, an interview with Michael Boyd on Whatsonstage.com talks about how he chose the name 'Revolutions' because the first play, The Grain Store by Natalia Vorozhbit, is Ukrainian. Many people in Ukraine do not think of themselves as Russian.

The same is true of Georgia of course, but sadly the Russian government doesn't seem to recognise this. Having expelled the majority Georgian population from Abkhazia in the early 90s, they once again sent in troops last year.

The rights and wrongs around the start of last year's war are a subject for debate but the provocations from Russia date back considerably further. I was at the Golden Mask Festival in Moscow in 2006 when Russia suddenly decided to ban Georgian wine, followed rapidly by Borjomi mineral water. Since Russia was Georgia's main export market this economic warfare would have an immediate impact.

Why is it that countries of the former USSR empire want nothing to do with Russia? The Baltic states and other countries of the Warsaw Pact quickly turned their attention to the West. Georgia has asserted its right to be an independent sovereign state, much to the annoyance of the Russian bear. Can such a small country really bother its big neighbour so much?

I sometimes compare Russia to the British Empire. It's not a fashionable idea these days and undoubtedly there were horrors associated with colonialism but I do find it fascinating that Britain's former colonies maintain their links with Britain through the Commonwealth, an entirely voluntary association of equals. When South Africa finally gained freedom from the apartheid regime, one of Nelson Mandela's early acts was to rejoin the Commonwealth, the club from which South Africa was expelled as a result of apartheid.

I'm looking forward to a weekend with the RSC and I'm glad Michael Boyd called the season Revolutions, despite this weekend with 2 full productions, playreadings and discussions being called The Complete Russian Experience. I don't think I want the complete Russian experience - that would involve invading neighbouring countries, murdering critics and journalists, silencing free speech and oppressing my own people.

It's worth reading the Michael Boyd interview http://www.whatsonstage.com/interviews/theatre/london/E8831253193874/Michael+Boyd+On+...+Russian+Revolutions+%26+the+RSC.html

Preparing for Tbilisi

The pictures show the Djvari Monastery outside Tbilisi, overlooking the ancient capital of Mtskheta and yours truly admiring the magnificent view from a restaurant terrace at Sighnaghi.

How do you prepare somebody for a trip to Tbilisi? I'm taking a group of theatre directors and producers for a long weekend to sample Georgian theatre at the showcase in the Tbilisi International from 9 - 12 October and I'd like them to begin to get a flavour of the place before they arrive.

There are guide books of course but they don't really capture the spirit. Roger Rosen's Georgia: A Sovereign Country of the Caucasus is good although now quite old for such a rapidly changing country; the Bradt Travel Guide is more up to date but factual rather than spiritual; the Lonely Planet covers Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan in one book so is a bit thin. Peter Naysmith's excellent books Georgia: In The Mountains of Poetry and Walking in the Caucasus certainly capture the spirit of the mountains and Bread and Ashes by by Tony Anderson is another good read for the walkers.

For me there are two books to recommend.

Stories I Stole by Wendell Steavenson is a personal recollection of time spent in a chaotic country where nothing works but warmth and hospitality make up for any shortcomings. Her final story of an act of love based on the Georgian painter Pirosmani brought tears to my eyes. Her visit was some time ago now and things have certainly changed but she really captures the spirit of the place.

My second choice would be a novel set at the beginning of the twentieth century that moves around the whole region so cannot be said to be strictly Georgian (its author lived in Azerbaijan) but it certainly gives a flavour of what makes the Caucasus such a magical place. Ali and Nino by Kurban Said (incidentally mentioned by Steavenson as her favourite book at the time) is a love story between a Georgian girl, Nino, and and Azeri boy, Ali. This one doesn't bring tears to my eyes; they run down my cheeks at the end.

I got quite into Kurban Said. A mystery man, now believed to be Lev Nussimbaum, a wealthy Jew from Baku who fled the Bolsheviks to Persia and then Berlin. There's an excellent biography of him by Tome Reiss, The Orientalist. Another book under the authorship of Kurban Said is The Girl From The Golden Horn whcih tells a different story of culture clash between Muslim and Christian. Set in Berlin after the First World War it tells of an emigre princess who flees Turkey after the fall of the Ottoman Empire and fall sin love with an Austrian doctor. If you enjoyed Brick Lane you'll certainly enjoy this.

So, apart from reading, what can I advise my party? Certainly they should train their livers for the undoubted supras that will come their way and they should be prepared for wonderfully lyrical toasts throughout the evening. But I guess the main thing is to relax. Time takes on a different meaning and 'Georgian time' is not an excuse, it's a way of life.

Getting ready for Tbilisi

The Tbilisi International Festival opens on 27 September with a production of Romeo and Juliet by the renowned director Oskaras Korshunovas from Lithuania. It seems like a crazy idea but I'm going out there just to see that show and then returning the next day. I blame Ian Herbert - it was him that said it was a must see show.

My real visit is a week later to take in some of the international work, spend a few days relaxing and then spend an intensive four days over the weekend of 9 - 12 October at the Georgian Theatre showcase - 19 shows over the four days in nine different theatre spaces. The picture is of the Marjanishvili Theatre; Eka Mazmishvili, General Director of the theatre, is the Director of the festival.


I'm particularly pleased to be introducing directors and producers from the UK to the variety and vibrancy of Georgian theatre. Thanks to Arts Council England East, there'll be a group of 8 from the East of England: playwright Charlotte Keatley with the Artistic Director of Watford Palace, Brigid Larmour; Jennifer Sutherland and Louise Callow, the adventurous young producers from Scamp Theatre; Peter Rowe, Artistic Director of New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich; master storyteller Mike Maran; rural touring champion Ivan Cutting from Eastern Angles; and Oliver Jones, the Associate Director at Trestle. They'll be joined by John McGrath, the Artistic Director of the National Theatre of Wales, and Gavin Stride, another rural touring champion from Farnham Maltings who joined me in Tbilisi three years ago nad has wanted to return ever since. And there may be others!


It's difficult to know what to expect from the visit. All the group have an interest in seeing international work, obviously, and some of them have specific projects in mind but they'll all have a chance to meet writers, directors and actors over many glasses of wine and you never know what might emerge. I'll be asking them to contribute to this blog so you can see their impressions.

One show I'm particularly pleased to see in the showcase is the puppet production of Faust directed by Levan Tsuladze. This show was originally produced in 2000 at the Basement Theatre but has been out of the repertoire for a few years. Now with new puppets by Nino Namicheishvili it's ready for a triumphant return. Seeing Faust was a fixture in my visits to Tbilisi and I must have seen the show ten times but there's always room for another viewing! Levan's latest show with puppets is also a must see - The Lady With a Dog, based on a short story by Chekhov, is a magnificent show with four actors and seven puppeteers.

Watch this space!