There will be a strong Danish presence at the Gavrosh international children's theatre festival in Moscow later this month thanks to a collaboration between two Danish ministries and the festival's organisers.

Leading theatres from Copenhagen, Aarhus, Holbæc and Fredensborg are involved, as are the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The festival will actually include more  Danish plays than Russians ones. Additionally, one of the Russian plays is also based on a Danish story. 

Includes some cooking
One of the participating Danish theatres, Hvid-stoj sceneproduction of Aarhus, will present its view on the creation of the world.  A performance blended with cooking, it includes a human being made of flour and water.

Another theatre from Aarhus, Teatret Gruppe 38, will present 'Sonatina', a modern version of the 'Little Red Riding Hood' fairy-tale.

'Little Prince', meanwhile is a circus performance by Cikaros from Copenhagen,  while another of the capital's theatres, Det Fortaellende Teater, will present its version of a Hans Christian Andersen's fairy-tale, 'The Little Matchgirl', with video installations.

Aimed at young kids
The Gavrosh International Festival (September 26-October 5) is aimed at toddlers and children up to ten years old.

Thomas Winkler, the Danish ambassador to Russia, pointed out in the official press release that modern Denmark has much more to offer than Hans Christian Andersen.

"For many, Denmark is first and foremost the country of Andersen's fairy-tales which we Danes still revere to this day," he said.

"However, there is more to Danish theatre, which these days offers a wide range of genres, forms and ways of expression."