Gabriadze Theater — Attraction in Tbilisi

Rezo Gabriadze's puppet theater is located on Shavteli Street in the old part of Tbilisi. It is the first Georgian puppet theater in Tbilisi. The theater was built in 1981 by Rezo Gabriadze. It has an individual, interesting architecture and is one of the most popular sights in Tbilisi. The clock tower created by Rezo Gabriadze in 2010 became the face of the theater. Once an hour, a golden angel comes out of the painted doorway and rings the bell with a small hammer. Twice a day, at 12:00 and 19:00, you can see a wonderful puppet show - "Circle of Life". To see this fabulous spectacle, the clock tower is visited by many tourists and locals. At the bottom of the tower are two ceramic panels with several hundred tiles. The tiles were made and painted by Rezo Gabriadze with his own hands. Rezo Gabriadze theater is one of the most special and magical places. The theater has traveled to many countries around the world with its performances and participated in many international festivals. On the right side is the Theater Cafe - "Gabriadze". In Gabriadze Theater you can see the special performances: "Autumn of My Springtime", "Stalingrad", "Ramona" and "Marshal de Fantini diamonds." Near also is one of the important monument - VI century temple -...

I am so upset about my experience that I couldn’t wait to write this review. I am literally sitting here waiting for my mashed potatoes to come back from the microwave. I was so excited to arrive and have dinner here because it is an old puppet theatre, however do not be fooled. Yesterday we popped in for a cup of tea and although there was over 5 tables empty at first sight they refused to seat us stating they were all reserved which I find extremely hard to believe, for it was 3 in the afternoon. Then when we asked to reserve a table for the next night (tonight) the waitress with an attitude said alright 8pm tomorrow night... no surprise when we arrived they said we did not have a reservation. Because I was determined to have a dinning experience here I urged them to seat us. I simply ordered mashed potatoes and a “grilled vegetable” salad, since their vegatarian menu is not impressive. I am not kidding when I say my mashed potatoes arrived COLD and my grilled veggie salad is a handful of greens, 3 cauliflower bits and 3 broccoli. I asked to have my potatoes at least heated and what veggies are meant to be in the salad, of course I am not surprised by the snarky response from the waitress. Absolutely not acceptable....

“But my dream came true. I went back to painting and sculpture, and this time forever. I am grateful to my fate, to the puppets, and my small troupe, rustling softly in dark corners of this old building.”

Rezo Gabriadze

Though modest in size, The Gabriadze Theater is among the world’s preeminent cultural institutions. Presenting mature puppet performances full of depth and meaning, it has gained the respect and recognition of international audiences and critics alike.

Based in its home theater in Tbilisi, Georgia, the company is under the direction of a noted artist, writer, and director Rezo Gabriadze (whose awards include Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters of the French Republic – France’s highest recognition for cultural achievements.) The Gabriadze Theater has toured extensively, its recent venues including: Lincoln Center Festival in New York; The Edinburgh Festival; Bogota Theater Festival; San Sebastian Festival, Spain; Toronto World Stage Festival; The Barbican Center, London; Theater de la Ville, Paris; The Kennedy Center Festival, Washington, D.C.; the Theatre Art...