"Arshin Mal Alan - The Mercer" takes us back to Azerbaijan at the turn of the century, a time when a great oil boom hit the Caspian Sea. The rich and successful businessman Askar is searching for true love and therefore pretends to be a simple mercer. Whether his love is requited, who knows?
The original musical comedy (1913), a worldwide success of the Azerbaijani composer Üzeyir Hajibeyov, is presented in a new production by the Baku Puppet Theatre. This also involved the creation of an authentic and dazzling stage design. Set against the backdrop of a beautifully detailed recreation of a miniature period interior, the roughly 40cm puppets come to life - dressed in brocade, velvet and silk. Intermingled with specially recorded passages from the operetta, the eloquent voices of the most successful Azerbaijani singers provide a taste of the orient.
