About This Clip
Hamlet (Digital Stage series)
Hamlet
“Digital Stage” is a new online series produced by Zorlu PSM in collaboration with Based Istanbul and sponsored by Türk Tuborg A.Ş. Directed by İbrahim Çiçek, one of the most daring figures in Turkish theater, and featuring scenography by Ceyda Balaban and cinematography by Gizem Kızıl, this project offers a fresh take on classical plays by combining them with visual storytelling and bringing them to the digital world.
Each week, the series presents a different cult text with the help of talented actors from the theater stage. The first screening will showcase William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, which is one of the most frequently staged plays in the world. In addition, texts from other classic works such as Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Anton Chekhov’s The Bear, The Seagull, Three Sisters, and Henrik Ibsen’s Nora will be presented in short story formats.
A timeless story…
In Hamlet, Çiçek offers a unique perspective on the timeless story, exploring themes such as privacy violations, betrayal, pride, and disappointment. With stunning performances by Cem Yiğit Üzümoğlu and Damla Sönmez, the play questions whether we live in a world of cameras, mirrors, and selfies as much as we do in a world of swords, battles, and betrayal. The visual richness of Balaban’s stage design adds to the immersive experience, as Kızıl documents it all in a cinematic language. As the dilemma created by Ophelia’s ballads and Hamlet’s doomed betrayal deepens, the play shows how pride can destroy everything and how things could have been different if not for it.
Premiered Jan 7, 2021
Playwright: William Shakespeare
Adapted/ Directed by: İbrahim Çiçek
Cast: Cem Yiğit Üzümoğlu – Damla Sönmez
Producer: Duygu Bayram, Zorlu PSM
Creative Producer: Duygu Bengi, Based Istanbul
Scenographer – Stage and Costume Design: Ceyda Balaban
Executive Producer: Miray Kaya
Project Manager: Levent Dokuzer
Project Coordinator: Gözde Tekay
Video Production: Metehan Öz
Costume Design: Burak Sanuk, Mert Yemenicioğlu
Music: Ömer Sarıgedik
Photograph: Burcu Karademir
Lighting: Hakan Kılıç
Director’s Assistant: Helin Irmak Demirel
Production Assistants: Eylül Yankın, Sıla Demiral
Stage Manager: Yılmaz Çoban
Audio: Erhan Yurtseven, Fatih Yücelli
Director of Photography: Can Tengiz, Behçet Mert Erbirer
Post Production: Zeynep Torun
Camera Assistants: Mehmet Emin Yücel, Murat Çağlayan
Poster Design: Ecem Tungaz
Sound Mixing: North Istanbul
Hair: Makas
Make-up: MAC Cosmetics Türkiye/ Hüseyin Kaygusuz
Costume: Simay Bülbül, Palaska, Salih Balta, Özlem Kaya, Özgür Masur, Manu Atelier
Duration: 19 Minutes
Translated by: İrem Taşcı
Hamlet (Digital Stage series)
Related Productions
- Bir Baba Hamlet (A Father’s Hamlet) (Eren, Emrah; 2017)
- Intikam Melegi – Kadin Hamlet (The Angel of Vengeance – The Female Hamlet) (Erksan, Metin; 1977)
- Romeo and Juliet (Digital Stage series) (Çı̇çek, İbrahı̇m; 2021)
- The Taming of the Shrew (Digital Stage series) (Çı̇çek, İbrahı̇m; 2021)
- Twelfth Night (Digital Stage series) (Çı̇çek, İbrahı̇m; 2021)