Russian puppet theatre contributed to the “Cultural school bag” in Troms

The Arhangelsk Puppet Theatre was founded in 1933, it is popular in its home city and famous in Russia. Generations of people have grown up with the Theatre and now take their own children to the Puppet home. It was the first puppet theatre to be honoured with the award of the prestigious All-Russia theatre festival “Golden Mask”.

First time
Theatre sales manager Ludmila Mokeeva was responsible for all customs procedures and shipping connected to the tour but did not go to Norway.

- It was the first time our actors went abroad with such a big performance. The 65-minutes spectacle is equipped with enormous scenery and I am pleased to hear that both “earthly” and “underground” scenery arrived safely across Russian-Norwegian border and all machinery functioned properly during the tour, she says.

Artistic director Vladimir Morozov thinks the trip to Norway has been a significant event for the actors.

- The audience responded the same way as at home, though most of the performance went in Russian. Our attempts to use Norwegian added fun for the young spectators, says Morozov.

The theatre takes part in festivals in the country and abroad and hosts the international festival “Snail”. The annual time schedule is busy with tours all over Russia. Just a week before its Troms tour the theatre had been triumphantly performing the comedy “Don Juan in Venice” for adult audience alongside with two shows for small children in the city of Vologda. On the whole the theatre has more than 30 plays in the repertoire.

Numerous Norwegians visiting Arhangelsk who have been lucky to get tickets to the Puppet theatre bring good stories about the puppet show to Northern Norway. The idea of inviting the Puppet theatre from Arhangelsk to Troms has been cherished by the department of culture in Troms for years. At last the idea came true due to the financial support from the Barents Secretariat and the national programme “Cultural schoolbag”.

Successful cooperation
The actors have toured in the three towns Sørreisa, Harstad and Tromso and performed “The Parrot´s Fairy Tales” for 27 schools. All in all there were 13 performances shown for children and adults. More than one thousand spectators have seen the breath-taking story with an innocent Rosalinda, a monster dwarf, a dragon, and a charming prince as main characters.

Between the performances the Russian actors were treated like welcome guests and got their own share of amusement while sightseeing and visiting the show “Karius and Bakterius”.

Eirin Gjelsås from the Department of Culture in Troms County Council is sure that successful cooperation between Troms Culture and Arhangelsk Puppet Theatre is to continue.