As part of the 29th Istanbul Theatre Festival, the Flemish Royal Theatre’s Bovary will be performed on November 8–9 at Zorlu PSM Turkcell Platinum Stage.
Organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), the festival brings together international and local productions under this year’s theme, “There’s a Woman in This.” The KVS (Flemish Royal Theatre) production of Bovaryreimagines Flaubert’s heroine through a distinctly feminist lens.
Emma Bovary Returns as a Feminist Voice of the 21st Century
Director Carme Portaceli—known for her contemporary reinterpretations of classic female characters such as Jane Eyre, Anna Karenina, and Mrs. Dalloway—joins forces once again with Michael De Cock, KVS’s artistic director since 2016.
In this new adaptation, Emma Bovary is not portrayed as a romantic tragedy figure but as “a feminist voice of the 21st century.” The production focuses on Emma’s relationship with Charles rather than her lovers, using minimalist staging to explore the central question: “Are we really living the lives we want?”
What Else Is on the Festival Program?
Author Alper Canıgüz brings his iconic character Alper Kamu—the precociously cynical five-year-old from Sons and Disgraced Souls—to the stage in Cehennem Çiçeği (Hell Flower). Performed at Alan Istanbul on November 7–8, the production combines miniature theatre, toy theatre, and live cinema techniques to portray the absurdities of adulthood through a child’s eyes. Supported by the İKSV Young Artist Fund, the play blends humor with a sharp psychological undercurrent.
Free Theatre Workshops for Children
As part of the festival, İKSV Alt Kat will host free creative workshops for children aged 4–6 and 7–9 on Sunday, November 9. Inspired by Sevinç Erbulak’s book A Day at the Theatre, the workshops will give children behind-the-scenes insights and help them develop self-expression through theatre.
