“NOMAD PUPPET” First International Puppet Theater Festival to be held in Aktau, Kazakhstan

The “NOMAD PUPPET” First International Puppet Theater Festival, supported by the International Organization of Turkic Culture (TURKSOY) and the Kazakh Ministry of Culture and Information, will be held in Aktau, a city in Kazakhstan’s Mangystau region, on September 9–14, as part of the project “Aktau – Cultural Capital of the Turkic World.”

The creative team of the theater will present the play “Yalguzaq,” which explores Azerbaijan’s historical heritage and ancestral roots, to Kazakh theater enthusiasts and the jury.

The one-act children’s play is based on the story “Yalguzaq and the Tale of the Simurgh Bird” by writer and playwright Mahbuba Hajiyeva.

The director and stage adapter is Anakhanim Abdullayeva; stage designer, Igbal Aliyev; music arranger and Honored Artist, Vugar Jamalzade; and sand performer, Lala Huseynzade.

The play features Rahim Rahimov as Father Wolf, Ramiz Gambarov as Lone Wolf, Sabina Mammadova as Mother Wolf, Konul Nasibova as the Simurgh Bird, and both Araz Hasanli and Yasin Abbasov as Young Wolf—with Araz also playing Baybora.

The story is based on a young child who miraculously survives the destruction of a Turkic tribe, which was burned and annihilated by enemies, and is rescued and raised by wolves. Through the character of the Lone Wolf, it depicts the wolves’ compassion toward a human child, as well as the child's upbringing in the spirit of revenge against the enemies, ultimately transforming the child into a strong and just being.

The objective of the festival is to strengthen collaboration in the field of puppet theatre, promote international relations, popularize the art of puppetry, discover new talents in the theatre world, encourage creative exchange, enhance the professional level of puppet theatre directors and actors, implement joint creative projects, and promote Kazakh puppet theatre art on an international scale.

Performances staged before a jury composed of renowned theatre experts will be awarded the special prize of the Governor of Mangystau Region, as well as the Grand Prix.

Additionally, participants will be honoured in the following categories: “Best Director,” “Best Acting Ensemble,” “Best Actor,” “Best Actress,” and “Best Puppeteer.”