Robert Sturua

Later, Sturua mounted spectacular, offbeat productions of The Caucasian Chalk Circle by Bertolt Brecht (1975), Richard III (London and Edinburgh, 1979–80) and King Lear (New York, 1990), starring comic actor Ramaz Chkhikvadze.

Works included Life is a Dream by Calderón (1992), The Good Person of Szechwan by Brecht (1993), Gospel According to Jacob (1995, based on the Georgian ABC Book by Iakob Gogebashvili), Lamara by Grigol Robakidze (1996).

Sturua's dialogue with the audience acquired an even more philosophical tone and focused more on thoughts of eternity, and on the fine line between life and death.

The metaphorical language of more recent interpretations is palpably more poetic and includes the fantasy "Styx", inspired by the music of Giya Kancheli (2002); two new versions of Hamlet staged in Tbilisi (2001, 2006); and Waiting for Godot (2002).

In August 2011, Georgia's culture minister Nika Rurua dismissed Robert Sturua as head of the Tbilisi national theatre for "xenophobic" comments he made earlier this year, officials reported.