Kral Lear (King Lear) (Coleman, 1981)

Kral Lear (King Lear)

The productions of King Lear in Turkey over the years have included many famous actors playing the title role: Cüneyt Gökçer in 1958 and 1980, Çetin Tekindor in 2002, and Haluk Bilginer in 2018.

King Lear is a play often read but rarely performed for many reasons, one of which is the need for a stellar cast, even in the small roles. Cüneyt Gökçer, who also served as the General Art Director of the Turkish State Theatres (Devlet Tiyatroları) between 1958 and 1983, takes a bold step himself, and takes on Lear, one of the world’s most tragic figures. Anyone with an interest in Shakespeare in Turkey knows that Gökçer is one of the legendary luminaries in the history of Shakespeare on the Turkish‑speaking stage. In the production directed by world-renowned English director Basil Coleman, Cüneyt Gökçer is surrounded by top flight actors such as Zafer Ergin, Atilla Olgaç, Sönmez Atasoy, Kenan Işık, Turgay Tanülkü, Erdal Küçükkömürcü etc. which makes it a truly an all-star cast. Ably supported by this wonderful cast and production team, his magnificent, passionate and moving performance as Lear gives the Turkish audience a truly enticing, angry and altogether excellent production.

It is no exaggeration to say that this production of King Lear by the Turkish State Theatres, filled with action, excitement, and despair is unlike anything you have seen before.

Cast & Crew

Duke Of Cornwall – Ati̇lla Olgaç

Goneril – Bi̇rol Türker Uzunyayla Ök

Messenger – Can Öztopçu

Cordelia – Canan Teki̇ndor Özdenoğlu

Earl Of Gloucester – Cemal Aykut Sözeri̇

Edgar – Cemi̇l Sönmez

Duke Of Burgundy – Cezmi̇ Gökalp

Edmund – Ci̇han Ünal

Lear – Cüneyt Gökçer

Fool – Erdal Küçükkömürcü

Doctor – Fi̇kret Ergi̇n

Regan – Gülgün Kutlu Tuğsavul

Third Servant – Hasan Bahadir Özyurt

Duke Of Burgundy – İsmai̇l Rahmi̇ Di̇lli̇gi̇l

King Of France – K. Lemi̇ Bi̇lgi̇n

Duke Of Albany – Kenan Işik

Messenger – M. Şaki̇r Gürzumar

Second Gentleman – Mehmet Babür Nutku

Messenger –Mehmet Yavuz Köken

Second Servant – Muharrem Savaş Tamer

First Gentleman – Muhi̇tti̇n Alpteki̇n Ertürk

First Servant – Murat Gökçer

Oswald – Mustafa Şekerci̇oğlu

Old Man – Osman Adnan Başer

Duke Of Burgundy – Rahmi̇ Di̇lli̇gi̇l

Second Gentleman – Serhat Nalbantoğlu

Earl Of Gloucester – Sönmez Atasoy

First Gentleman – Turgay Tanülkü

Earl Of Kent – Zafer Ergi̇n

Goneril – Zafer Kayaokay

Author: William Shakespeare

Translator: İrfan Şahi̇nbaş

Director: Basil Coleman

Assistant Director: Ataman Özben

Assistant Director: Lale Boran

Stage Designer: Roger Andrews

Costume Designer: Roger Andrews

Lighting Designer: Mehmet Nuri̇ Özakyol

Sound Designer: Sabahatti̇n Kalender

Stage Manager: Mehmet Çeti̇n Akant

Prompter: Cenap Savaşçi

Reviews

1) Haftalık Aktüalite Mecmuası Yıl: 8, Cilt: XXIII, Sayı: 397. 1962, Ankara. 25-31.

2) Sanlı, Sevgi. Kral Lear Lear’lerin en büyüğü mü?, Aylık Tiyatro Dergisi, Sayı: 72. Temmuz Ağustos 1997: İstanbul. pp. 26-27.

3) Ozansoy, Halit Fahri. “Kral Lear”, Son Havadis Gazetesi. , nr. 910, 1982.

4) Ozansoy, Halit Fahri. “Devlet Tiyatrosu’nun İstanbul’daki temsili:Kral Lear”, from Taha Toros Archive.

Articles & Essays

1) Laurence Raw. Exploring Turkish Cultures: Essays, Interviews and Reviews. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2011, p. 153-162.
(This chapter deals with the 1982 production of King Lear and gives insight into the production.)

2)  Esen, Cebrail. Shakespeare Oyunlarındaki Karakterlerin Yorumunda Diksiyon Enerji İlişkisi. Master’s Thesis. Ankara: Bilkent Üniversitesi, 2005.

3) Mazanoğlu, E. S. Ç. “‘All the World is a Stage’: Shakespeare on the Turkish Stage.” Shakespeare 450. Ed. A. D. Bozer. Hacettepe University, 2014, p. 123-134.

4) Devlet Tiyatroları. (2000, August 1). Republic Of Türkiye Ministry Of Culture and Tourism.

5) AÖF Türk Tiyatrosu. T.C. Anadolu Üniversitesi Yayını No: 2455, Açıköğretim Fakültesi Yayını No: 1427, Eskişehir, 2019.

6) Nakilcioğlu, B. (2019). Devlet tiyatrosu sahne dekorunda resim unsurları bağlamında gerçekleştirme yöntemi (1980-2010), [Unpublished master’s thesis]. Afyon Kocatepe Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Sanat ve Tasarım Ana Bilim Dalı.

7) Ümit, N. “Kenneth Macgowan, Notes On The Turkish Theatre/Türk Tiyatrosu Üzerine Notlar (İngilizce‘den Türkçe‘ye Çeviri/ Translation From English to Turkish)” Çev. Nazlı Ümit . Art-Sanat Dergisi (2017 ): 589-609.

Theatre Program and Production Stills

Courtesy of the Turkish State Theatres (Devlet Tiyatroları)