A Turkish Macbeth
European Reading in Performance (TURKEY)
- Theatre 1, YSJ University
About the Show
22nd April - Theatre 1, YSJ University (in the corner of Quad North and Quad West, ground floor) 6:30pm - Introduction 7:30pm - Play Reading £5 Standard £5 Pass It On! (purchase a ticket for someone who otherwise would be unable to attend this event) Ümit Kıvanç: Macbeth: An Attempt to Adapt to our Political Landscape (1991) Ümit Kıvanç was born in 1956 in Istanbul, Turkey. Son of a famous Turkish journalist, Halit Kıvanç, he pursued his father’s path in journalism, and he became a writer for the Turkish dailies Milliyet, Cumhuriyet, and Radikal. He continues writing for the journals Birikim and Gazete Duvar. Since 1989, Kıvanç published novels, short stories and plays, among which is Macbeth: Muhitimize Uyarlama Denemesi (1991). In addition to being a journalist and a writer, Kıvanç is also a short film and documentary maker, with his most famous works including Nazê (2016), Ah, Asuman! (2019), and Hafiza yetersiz: Hrant için bir film (2022). Kıvanç’s deep preoccupation with Turkish cultural, social and political concerns emerges in all aspects of his creations. His focus on Macbeth divulges his outlook, especially noticeable in the subtitle of his play: “An Adaptation Attempt [of Macbeth] to Our Political Landscape”. Though never performed, and ignored by academia and theatre to the present, Kıvanç’s play surprises by the radical reworking in which he targets the media, the political elite, and the Turkish Military Forces. With a delightful sense of humour, Kıvanç approaches the gruesome aspects of Turkish life of the 1980s, and he insists that his adaptation is “alla turca”, scandalous “in a Turkish manner”, as his Macbeth offers a critique of the mayhem produced by Turkish journalism and deep political schisms, which led to the military coup in 1980. Kıvanç bewilders his audience with a very fresh rewriting of the witches, whose supernatural powers spread over media, with a Macbeth who “murders” Duncan by fabricating facts which are “magically” published by press, with a political elite ambitious for power, but mostly with General Hecate and the military forces, who, instead of being “guardians of the Republic”, stomp over all its principles and national identity. We are delighted to give this first staged reading of the play in English, featuring actors from York, directed by Filiz Ozcan. The reading will be preceded by an introduction from Tatiana Golban in conversation with Professor Nicoleta Cinpoes which is free to attend.
Booking Information
On each of our events we offer a ticket option called Pass It On! If you purchase any number of these tickets, we will gratefully pass them on to people who otherwise would be unable to attend due to financial barriers, with a special focus on refugees and asylum seekers. Would you like to be considered for a Pass It On! ticket? Contact us at info@yorkshakes.co.uk --- All tickets for our events have an added 20p to help cover our ticket processing surcharge. Tickets purchased in person are not subject to this charge, but we cannot guarantee availability without booking in advance. --- Each of our venues have different accessibility. If you are disabled please contact us to confirm accessibility information for this venue. Call 07784819412 or email skylar@parrabbola.co.uk --- No longer able to attend? We understand - things happen. If you are no longer able to attend we ask that you let us know as far in advance as possible so we can re-sell your ticket. We will offer refunds and aim to process these within 30 days. Contact us at info@yorkshakes.co.uk for more information and to request a cancellation.
Donate to YISF
This festival runs on a non-profit model, made possible by the hard work of dedicated volunteers and contributions from international organisations, private donors, and local partners. Every donation helps to ensure this work can continue.
In 2024, your donations will go towards...
-the creation of an original performance by actors from Ukraine and artists from York
-storytelling workshops in schools and libraries across Yorkshire
-identity building workshops for secondary students delivered by renowned international artists
-university students receiving hands-on work experience in event management and international literature
And so much more!
Do you have questions or want to get involved? Email us at info@yorkshakes.co.uk