Libretto by Tatiana Mushinskaya
Music Director: Aleh Lessoun
Director: recipient of the Francysk Skaryna Medal Mikhail Pandzhavidze
Chorus Master: People’s Artist of Belarus Nina Lomanovich 
Designer: recipient of the Francysk Skaryna Medal, laureate of the State Prize of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Kostiuchenko
Costumes: Ekaterina Bulgakova, Maria Moroz
Choreography and stage - Honoured Artist of the Republic of Belarus Yulia Diatko, People’s Artist of Belarus Konstantin Kuznetsov 
Lighting Design: Lyudmila Kunash 
Conductor: Ivan Kostyakhin

Performed in Russian
Premiere: 4 October 2015

Доктор Айболит – Александр Краснодубский

Попугай – Александр Михнюк

Танечка – Елена Таболич

Ванечка – Александр Гелах

Зайчиха – Марина Аксенцова

Мотылек – Андрей Матюшонок

Первая цапля – Марина Лихошерст

Вторая цапля – Ольга Кажгалиева

Бармалей – Юрий Болотько

Гиппопотам – Илья Певзнер

Слон –  Александр Кеда

Крокодил – Дмитрий Трофимук

Крокодилица – Светлана Марусевич

Тотошенька – Анна Гурьева

Кокошенька – Марина Мороз

Обезьянка Чичи – Ирина Кучинская

Дирижер – Иван Костяхин

Act I

Doctor Ouchithurts’ Health Centre is a hospital for birds and animals that know that here they will definitely be cured. The doctor is assisted by volunteers, Tanya and Vanya, as well as monkey Chichi and parrot Karudo.

Birds and animals enter one after another: they all need the doctor’s urgent help. Among them there are Herons who have eaten too many frogs, an Elephant who needs five pounds (80 kilos!) of chocolate, and a sad Butterfly who has burnt his wing. Ouchithurts sews a new wing on, and the happy Butterfly flies away.

Then Mrs Rabbit comes with her little bunnies. They are in distress: the Little Bunny has got run over by a trolley car and lost his legs. The doctor comes to his rescue and sews new legs on so that the Little Bunny, Mrs Rabbit, numerous siblings can dance and have fun.

Then the Crocodile, his wife, Mrs Crocodile, and their kids Kokoshenka and Totoshenka enter. First the Crocodile asks the doctor to send him… galoshes. It’s a product which the family eats with pleasure. Ouchithurts promises to fulfil his request.

Kokoshenka and Totoshenka are very naughty. One of the little crocodiles has swallowed a samovar by mistake, and now he has a terrible stomachache. Of course, he can’t do without the doctor! Ouchithurts cures the little crocodiles. Meanwhile, they make a huge mess in the health centre.

The doctor is tired of the endless bustle. He has just lain down to have some rest when a Hippopotamus enters. Ouchithurts cannot understand if it’s a dream or reality. The Hippopotamus begs the doctor to go to Africa where a real epidemic has broken out.

Poor animals suffer from “scarlatina, cholerine, diphtheria, appendicitis, malaria and bronchitis”!
The doctor puts on his smock, packs his first aid kit and gets ready for the trip. Chichi and Karudo will also go, and they rejoice at the coming trip since Africa is their motherland!

No one is going to take Tanya and Vanya though, but they dream of a distant voyage, too! They hide themselves in the boxes with valuable medicines “chocolatus” and “marmaladus”, thus getting to the ship sailing to Africa.

A dangerous journey awaits the doctor, Chichi and Karudo, who have to cross high mountains and rough roaring seas. A storm begins, and heavy waves break and sink the ship. A whale saves the doctor and takes him to the black continent.


Act II

The den of Barmaleus, the most dangerous African brigand, is located on the bank of a river. His guards, four bandits, a Shark, a Gorilla, a Tiger and a Leopard, are nearby. Barmaleus has already learnt that Ouchithurts is going to Africa to save sick animals. He is very happy that the famous doctor will finally be trapped.

Tanya and Vanya get out of the boxes with medicines and look around. The children are in raptures about their voyage. Suddenly Barmaleus’ guard approaches them and asks why they are here, all alone. Tanya and Vanya are not afraid of the fearful guard and run away when being chased. The guard calls Barmaleus. The kids are captured in the end and locked in a cabin of the brigand’s ship.      


Meanwhile, the doctor reaches the River Limpopo where the infirmary for sick animals is situated. Ouchithurts’ methods are very attractive: he gives everyone a chocolate bar and kiddy eggnog.

They recover at last! They no longer have bandages and dressings on their paws and heads. When their revelry is in full swing, they are joined by the parrot Karudo and the monkey Chichi who is wobbling after the long journey. The doctor is happy to know that his friends have turned up at last! When the ship began to sink during the storm, they were washed overboard. So Karudo and Chichi found themselves on a wild island, and some time later Tanya and Vanya were also found there.

A misfortune happens: the children have disappeared! Ouchithurts is worried. Karudo is also afraid that they are going to be captured by the terrible brigand Barmaleus. The doctor sets off at once to Barmaleus’ den to rescue his assistants, followed by the animals whose little ones he has cured, including a Zebra, a Giraffe, an Elephant, a Crocodile and the Hippopotamus.

Finally Ouchithurts reaches the den. He asks Barmaleus to release Tanya and Vanya. Instead, the brigand gives a sign, and his guards seize the doctor – now he is in captivity, too. Barmaleus is in triumph.

The heavyweight animals approach. A real fight breaks out between them and the guards. Surrounded by the animals, Barmaleus rushes about in search of a hole to escape.

Barmaleus is defeated; he repents and begs for mercy. The doctor and his assistants are ready to forgive him only if he helps to send Tanya and Vanya back home, to their parents. Besides, Barmaleus and his guard must pull up Ouchithurts’ cracked ship from the sea bottom. The leader and his gang understand that the task is hardly feasible and agree to give the doctor their ship instead.

All the children and animals make merry. “Glory, glory to Ouchithurts! Glory to kind doctors!” the heroes sing cheerfully. 

.