T24.com.tr / The Istanbul Theatre Festival closes with Richard III.

In its final week, the Istanbul Theater Festival will feature Bagajdaki Balta (The Axe in the Trunk), Macbeth, Yalnız (Alone), Ölüyor Mu Ne? (Is He Dying?), and Medea-Material, all set to meet the audience. The festival will close with III. Richard by Schaubühne Berlin, returning to Turkey after 10 years.

Organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV) with the sponsorship of Koç Holding's Energy Group Companies Aygaz, Entek, Opet, and Tüpraş, the 28th Istanbul Theater Festival continues to host local and international performances in its final week.

Bagajdaki Balta (The Axe in the Trunk), written and directed by Yiğit Sertdemir, who is also the set designer, will be performed on November 12 and 13 at Alan Kadıköy. Directed by Nikita Milivojević, Macbeth will be staged on November 12 and 13 at the Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall. The play Yalnız (Alone), adapted from Zeynep Kaçar's second novel, will be performed by Başak Kıvılcım Ertanoğlu and Ümit Erlim on November 13 and 14 at the Üsküdar Tekel Stage. Ölüyor Mu Ne? (Is He Dying?), written and directed by Şahika Tekand for Studio Oyuncuları, will be staged on November 16 and 17 at Alan Kadıköy. Medea-Material, directed by Ayşe Emel Mesci, will be shown on November 16 at Üsküdar Tekel Stage.

The festival will conclude with III. Richard, directed by Thomas Ostermeier and starring Lars Eidinger, with Schaubühne Berlin returning to the festival after 10 years. The performance will take place on November 18 and 19 at Zorlu PSM.

Festival Week’s Featured Plays:

• Bagajdaki Balta (The Axe in the Trunk) November 12, Tuesday 20:00 / Alan Kadıköy November 13, Wednesday 20:00 / Alan Kadıköy Yiğit Sertdemir, an award-winning writer, director, actor, and set designer, presents his first play after a five-year hiatus, exploring love and time in an intricate, layered narrative.
• Macbeth November 12, Tuesday 20:00 / Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall November 13, Wednesday 20:00 / Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall Directed by Nikita Milivojević, Macbeth presents a surreal world where time and place are blurred, keeping the play timeless and contemporary.
• Yalnız (Alone) November 13, Wednesday 20:00 / Üsküdar Tekel Stage November 14, Thursday 20:00 / Üsküdar Tekel Stage Based on Zeynep Kaçar's award-winning novel, Yalnız tackles themes of life, death, freedom, and societal change in a dual timeline.
• Ölüyor Mu Ne? (Is He Dying?) November 16, Saturday 20:00 / Alan Kadıköy November 17, Sunday 15:00 / Alan Kadıköy Şahika Tekand’s new work, Ölüyor Mu Ne?, offers a comedic yet profound reflection on power, marriage, justice, and desire, set in Mount Olympus.
• Medea - Material November 16, Saturday 20:00 / Üsküdar Tekel Stage Heiner Müller’s Medea-Material blends mythology with history in a poetic narrative, analyzing Western civilization through Medea's story.
• III. Richard November 18, Monday 20:00 / Zorlu PSM Turkcell Platinum Stage November 19, Tuesday 20:00 / Zorlu PSM Turkcell Platinum Stage Thomas Ostermeier’s production of III. Richard features Lars Eidinger in a captivating portrayal of the ruthless king.

Children’s Special Workshop On November 12 and 14, the festival will host a children’s event at Baba Sahne, where they can explore the backstage of theater with Sevinç Erbulak, author of Tiyatroda Bir Gün, introducing them to the magic of the stage.

For more information on the festival’s full program and free side events, click the provided links.