The tradition of Summer Plays, which İBB City Theatres have been continuing for 76 years at Harbiye Open Air Theatre, continues with the classic plays of our theater repertoire.

Starting with Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” the Summer Plays will continue with our plays titled “Rüstemoğlu Cemal’s Strange Story” and “The Servant of Two Masters.”

The Open Air Summer Plays take the audience on three enjoyable journeys in the geographies of England, Crete, and Italy, in the atmospheres of diverse cultures.

“Twelfth Night,” written by William Shakespeare and directed by Serdar Biliş, will be performed on August 24th and 25th at 9:00 PM.

“Rüstemoğlu Cemal’s Strange Story,” written and directed by Cengiz Toraman, will be performed on August 26th at 9:00 PM.

“The Servant of Two Masters,” written by Carlo Goldoni and directed by Aslı Öngören, will be staged on August 27th at 9:00 PM.

Tickets for the plays are available for sale at box offices, the website https://sehirtiyatrolari.ibb.istanbul/, and the İBB City Theatres mobile app.

Twelfth Night:
In “Twelfth Night,” one of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies, twin siblings Viola and Sebastian are separated after a shipwreck and believe each other to be dead. Viola disguises herself as a man to enter the service of Duke Orsino of Illyria. She is tasked with wooing the beautiful Olivia on behalf of Orsino. Olivia, mourning her brother’s death, rejects all suitors until she falls in love with Viola, who is now disguised as a man. Meanwhile, Olivia’s uncle, Sir Toby, and her steward, Malvolio, engage in a lively scheme that further complicates this case of mistaken identities and unrequited love.

Rüstemoğlu Cemal’s Strange Story:
Set in the waning days of the Ottoman Empire, the play follows the adventurous journey of a family exiled from their homes in Crete to Istanbul, Çanakkale, and eventually Ayvalık. The play weaves together the often comical, sometimes poignant, but always heartwarming stories of Rüstem, Cemal, and other individuals in their lives.

The Servant of Two Masters:
Pantalone decides to marry off his daughter Dottore to his son Silvio and organizes a ceremony at his house. The young lovers are deeply in love, but the situation becomes complicated when Federico Rasponi, whom Pantalone had promised to marry his daughter to and who was believed to be dead, arrives at the ceremony. Drawing from the oral tradition, the Italian Folk Theatre Commedia Dell’Arte, with its sharp-witted servant Truffaldino, offers a delightful viewing experience.

Remember that the translation might not capture all the nuances of the original text, especially when it comes to cultural references and wordplay specific to the source language.