Rezo Gabriadze Theater

The theater occupies a small building designed by Gabriadze himself. The façade is clad in aged stone and hand-painted ceramic tiles – hundreds of them, each painted by the artist personally. The building looks deliberately ancient, as though it had stood here for centuries. Beside it, the clock tower tilts slightly, as if about to topple. The lean is intentional: Gabriadze wanted a fairytale, imperfect structure. The tower is decorated with a patchwork of bricks and tiles salvaged from old demolished buildings across Tbilisi.

At the tower's base, a small door leads to the ticket office and backstage tours. Inside the hall – 80 seats, low ceilings, walls covered with old tickets and photographs. Performances are in Georgian and Russian, all with English subtitles. The marionettes are handmade – every puppet was crafted personally by Gabriadze. "Stalingrad" was named Best Play of 2010 by The New Yorker.

Next to the theater, Café Gabriadze serves food and drinks in a space filled with the master's sculptures and paintings. Shavteli Street in front of the theater is pedestrianised – local artists sell paintings and souvenirs here. The area around the tower is one of the most photographed spots in Tbilisi.

Clock tower – built in 2010 from reclaimed bricks and tiles, intentionally leaning, angel strikes the bell every hour

Mini puppet show – "The Circle of Life" plays twice daily (12:00 and 19:00), lasts a few minutes, free from the street

Venue – 80 seats, one of the world's smallest professional theaters

International acclaim – toured Lincoln Center (NYC), Barbican (London), Edinburgh Festival, Théâtre de la Ville (Paris)

Ceramics – hundreds of tiles on the tower and façade painted by Gabriadze by hand

The theater was founded by Rezo Gabriadze in 1981 as Georgia's first professional puppet theater. Gabriadze – a director, screenwriter, artist, and sculptor – held the rank of Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters of the French Republic. He personally wrote the plays, crafted the marionettes, and directed every show. Over 40 years, the theater toured dozens of countries and festivals: Avignon, Edinburgh, New York, Toronto, Dresden, Belgrade.

In 2010, Gabriadze built the clock tower next to the theater, and it immediately became an architectural landmark of Tbilisi. The tower is assembled from antique bricks and faced with the artist's own ceramic work. Rezo Gabriadze passed away in 2021. Today the theater is led by his son Leo Gabriadze, who maintains his father's repertoire and traditions. Four productions remain in rotation, and the company continues to accept international touring invitations.

On foot from central Tbilisi:

From Freedom Square – 5–7 min along Shavteli Street. The theater sits in the heart of Old Town, between the Bridge of Peace and Anchiskhati Basilica.

Metro:

Avlabari station – 10 min walk across the Bridge of Peace.

Taxi:

Bolt from anywhere in Tbilisi – 3–10 GEL. Ask to be dropped on Shavteli Street or at the Bridge of Peace.

Tower puppet show: Arrive at 12:00 or 19:00 – come 5 minutes early to find a good viewing spot on the street.

Performances: Schedule is irregular – shows don't run every day. Check gabriadze.com or tkt.ge.

Time of day: Morning and afternoon – good light for photographing the tower. Evening – more atmospheric with illumination.

Duration: 30–40 min for the tower, café, and souvenir shop. With a performance – 2–2.5 hours.