«Stray Dog» Puppet Theatre (Russia)

St. Petersburg’s puppet theatre “Stray Dog” exists for longer than a quarter of a century already. This is a lengthy period for a small children’s theatre, which is memorable to its audience for its cozy, home-like atmosphere. The theatre’s repertoire includes fairy tales, works of classics of children’s literature, and is directed at young but insighted viewers. Apart from the traditional plays, “Stray Dog” also holds interactive lessons during which children learn from the professional actors the techniques of puppet-making. The theatre has traveled to Latvia, Spain, Denmark, Switzerland, Turkey, Korea, and many other countries.

The Ugly Duckling

The premiere of the puppet show “The Ugly Duckling” was timed to coincide with the 200th anniversary of Hans Christian Andersen. This adaptation of a tale written by a Danish classic shows an entertaining story of a duckling who was not born like all others. The production can be interpreted as a parable of xenophobia and bullying, but for children, this is the story of a miraculous transformation of a small ugly duckling into a beautiful white swan. A special feature of the play is that during the play no “human” word is pronounced, but only “bird language” sounds. In 2005, the performance became the winner of the Golden Mask Award for the best work of the artist and the nominee as Best Performance in the Puppet Theatre.

Director: Jacques Matthiessen (Denmark)

Genre: puppetry

Date: 08/11/2018, Thursday

Time: 12:00 & 15:00

Venue: Azerbaijan State Puppet Theatre

Language: nonverbal

Duration: 40 minutes (with no intermission)

Age restriction: 4+