FIRST LOVE OF KHODJA NASREDDIN

based on T.Zulfikarov’s poem.

It is a subtle, clever, poetical and philosophical legend, a parable that became a spectacular, bright, vivid - and at the same time touching and affectionate performance in a version of the theatre. It surprises an audience with a depth of emotions and inspires them with happiness of First Love.

Adapted for stage and directed by - Honored Worker of Arts of Uzbekistan Nabi Abdurakhmanov
Stage designers - Oybek Kayumov, Tatyana Fadeeva
Costume designer - Vassa Vasileva
Composer - Albert Khalmurzaev
Choreographed by - Anna Trenina

The premiere in St-Petersburg’s “Baltic House” Theatre - 21 of March, 2008

NASREDDIN.LOVE.RU it is a performance for youth based on a wonderfully affecting and beautiful poem of Timur Zulfikarov "First love of Hodja Nasreddin". This is a subtle, clever, poetical, philosophical legend, parable. The spectacular, bright, active - and at the same time touching and affecting show. In style of modern show, played by young actors for youth in theatre auditorium with using of vocal, modern processing of sound, rhythm, amazing melodiousness of author's style. Sort of - action made and created on eyes beside spectators.

Due to huge passions (one of the targets of T.Zulfikarov in creation of this poem was idea to return people to tragic saturated by passions ancient theatre) the plot (including in itself worldwide caravan, first love, first passion, first death, worldwide mourning in desert, downfall into prison-zindan, rending Silk of Great Road, Salvation and - the most main - Love, touching, passionate and FIRST!) is played and realized by actors actively and rapidly.

The actors create on the stage with modern facilities a Great Silk Way, teemed caravan of nations (Asian, European, ancient and modern) and not only tell the story, but all together here, on eyes beside spectators, create and live the Birth of High Love.
And most main the high aim of the show is a desire of actors to present to present-day youth THEIR ability of feelings of High Love! And Great Self-Sacrifice! On a form, genre of the show it is a fascinating play for present-day young spectators, and on the aim is possibility to all young people, actors and spectators, be plunged into the World of High Poetry.

THE OPINIONS OF CRITICS AFTER THE FIRST-NIGHT IN ST-PETERSBURG’S “MEETINGS IN RUSSIA” FESTIVAL:

Rimma Krechetova (theatre critic, Moscow, Russia):
Nabi Abdurakhmanov does not cease to surprise us. He has united in pattern of his show a modern music, dance and movement, extraordinary complicated Eastern philosophical syllable and Russian school of actor's play.It is gigantic creative work!

Boris Tuch (theatre critic, Tallinn, Estonia):
A possibility to conduct through the scene a very intuitive and much humane philosophy of Sufism attracts Nabi in poetry of Zulfikarov. The theatre includes energy sources for comprehending of this poem. A full mastering not only spaces of a scene, but spaces of actor's individualities by stage director is happened here. Metaphors of this show are very multivalued and exceedingly interesting!

Yury Gabets (theatre critic, Saint Petersburg, Russia):
The space, light, sets, dances and movements it looks like the show is woven with many threads, but thread to thread is a carpet of united tissue of the play, nowhere is sutured and no cuts! Thanks to director who gave us such gift.
Nora Kutateladze (The International Confederacy of theatre unions, Moscow, Russia):
How the country can be proud that there is a such remarkable theatre - theatre of Nabi Abdurakhmanov.

Lubov Lebedina (theatre critic, Moscow, Russia):
I have such impression that you can make all things!

Evdokimova N.L. - counselor of Chairman of Federal Council of Federal Assembly of Russia.
It is important that our spectators can understand an East Poetry. I was astonished by merging of many magic things in this show. Magic of poetry which was fluently poured from actors' lips. Magic of music which accompanied to this show. Magic of movements and amazing plastic art of actors. And this combination of three magics with addition of such abundance of east beautiful and colorful silk fabrics has produced an impression absolutely indelible. How audience was react – the audience hall was burst with applauses!

Timur Zulfikarov, Russian poet, author of the poem:
I know Nabi very well since he has staged already two productions based on my poems. He is an artist of extremely expressive direction of arts. I think he is a theatrical genius, he has a most rare gift - very exquisite feelings of a stage, actors, sets and costumes.

In Russia, in March, 2008 N.Abdurakhmanov has staged a modern and very spectacular, but the most main, very actual production “Nasreddin.love.ru” based on Timur Zulfikarov's poem "First love of Hodja Nasreddin" in St-Petersburg's "Baltic House" theatre. T.Zulfikarov is an amazing modern poet of Russia, lives in Moscow. In 1993 he has won a "Collets" Prize – For the best European novel of a year, he was nominated to Nobel Prize in the field of literature, has the prestigious awards of President of Russia. He is astonish subtle poet, and his works - verily High Poetry!

With Petersburg actors director has done a modern show for youth, with modern music, dances etc. But the most main - invisibly tried to bring spectators to that point where them together with actors can tower to Great Feelings of High Love. And the whole story happens on Great Silk Road. Moreover, at the beginning of the play the people in black come to the stage and address to spectators with call – "Recall Allah! Allah Akbar!", but then they begin to create an amazing, shocking history of Love, a story about East Romeo and Juliet.

After first-night show one solid critic on discussion sad: “When the actors at the beginning of the play came to the stage and shocked me with "Allah Akbar!" - I was very afraid and shocked because these words for us are associated with terrorists, which are ready to blast others. But then actors have presented me such amazing life of Love, such high poetry that now I know – the words "Allah Akbar!" - really – "God Is Great!", and for Muslims this words mean that things – that for Christians are the words of Christ – "God Is Love!" And indeed, there are no bad religions and bad God in the world, just people can use the name of God into Evil. I grateful actors for this feelings!”
In May, 2009 N.Abdurakhmanov staged this play with his actors of Youth Theatre of Uzbekistan and the show named as a poem – “FIRST LOVE OF KHODJA NASREDDIN”.

From the press about the show