Organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) the 28th Istanbul Theatre Festival readies to open its curtains on 22 October.
Running from 22 October to 19 November, the 28th Istanbul Theatre Festival marks the first year of Mehmet Birkiye’s curatorship. The festival will feature 19 theatre and dance performances from both Türkiye and abroad. Tickets will go on sale on Friday, 13 September.
The festival brings together directors and choreographers who have left their mark on contemporary theatre, along with artists, especially local talents that will shape the future of the performing arts in geography. In the local productions program, the festival will showcase new works by Halil Babür, Ebru Nihan Celkan, Güray Dinçol, Ümit Erlim, Başak Kıvılcım Ertanoğlu, Nagehan Gürkan, Kerem Kurdoğlu, Michael Önder, Yiğit Sertdemir, Selin Şenköken, Şahika Tekand, Elif Temuçin, Tuğçe Ulugün Tuna, Levent Tülek, and Özen Yula.
The international program, in which extraordinary interpretations of Shakespeare’s plays stand out, will include performances from Germany, Romania, Serbia, France and Japan. The renowned Schaubühne Berlin returns after ten years with Richard III, directed by contemporary theatre icon Thomas Ostermeier and starring Lars Eidinger. Acclaimed director Declan Donnellan will present Hamlet, staged by the Marin Sorescu National Theatre. Nikita Milivojević, known for his surreal and impactful works, will bring Macbeth with the National Theatre of Serbia. Making its first appearance in Türkiye, the world’s oldest theatre, Comédie-Française, will perform Hecuba, Not Hecuba, directed by Tiago Rodrigues, the director of the Avignon Festival. In celebration of the 100th anniversary of Japan-Turkey diplomatic relations, the festival will host Japanese butoh master Ushio Amagatsu’s company Sankai Juku, performing Utsushi for the first time in Türkiye.
Performances will take place at 12 different venues across both sides of the Bosphorus, including Alan Kadıköy Theatre, Arter Karbon, Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall, DasDas, Erdem Otopark, Harbiye Muhsin Ertuğrul Stage, Hope Alkazar, Maximum UNIQ Hall, Metro Han, Üsküdar Tekel Stage, and Zorlu Performing Arts Centre.
