site.btaPuppet Theatres from Sofia and Tokyo Perform in Japan's Fukuoka Prefecture

Actors from the Sofia Puppet Theatre and Japan's PUK Puppet Theatre will stage the bilingual play Story of a Seagull and the Gang of Tomcats (known in English as The Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly) in the city of Iizuka, Fukuoka Prefecture, on Saturday.

The performance will take place at Iizuka’s Cosmos Common Cultural Centre. This will be the fourth performance of the show in Fukuoka Prefecture, following one in Chikushino on July 31 and two in Fukuoka City on August 1. The two theatre troupes have been playing to Japanese audiences as part of a joint three-month tour across the country

The stage appearances in Fukuoka Prefecture are part of this joint tour by the Bulgarian and Japanese puppet theatres. The tour comprises 33 shows in 13 cities across Japan, bringing Louis Sepulveda’s heartwarming story to diverse audiences in both Bulgarian and Japanese.

Each performance is presented in a bilingual format, showcasing the collaboration between the Sofia Puppet Theatre and Tokyo’s PUK Puppet Theatre on stage.

The tour began with a premiere performance in Tokyo on Tuesday, June 25, 2025, attended by Bulgarian Ambassador to Japan Marieta Arabadzhieva, embassy staff and their children, and members of the Bulgarian community in the Japanese capital.

The production is a cultural exchange initiative between Bulgaria and Japan. It has been delighting audiences with its imaginative puppetry and storytelling, demonstrating a successful partnership between the two theatres.

The production is directed by Katya Petrova, with set design by Maya Petrova. The cast features Marieta Petrova, Ivan Raykov, Stoyan Royanov “Ya-Ya”, Tetsuya Odachi, Ritsuko Ishida, Misa Obara and Tatsuo Sato.