Circassian Rıdvan’s Intrigue

Adapted from an 18th-century Ottoman court festival illustration by Levnî, from the Sûrnâme-i Vehbi (The Sûrnâme of Ahmed III), the image depicts the meddah figure, a storyteller who entertained audiences during festivities. The figure, shown with a single body carrying both a female and a male head, represents this performative tradition.

The image’s double-sided, inward-turning composition symbolizes the symmetrical structure of love in the play. The Turkish expression dolap çevirmek derives from the rotating cupboard used in harems to enable communication between two parties who could not see one another; this circular motion is visualized here through a spinning top. In the background appears a depiction of the 17th-century Bosphorus of Istanbul. As the story unfolds around a waterfront mansion and passenger boats on the Bosphorus, a boat-filled panorama of the strait was chosen as the backdrop.

To represent the play of love, the woman and the man hold, respectively, a fish (symbolizing fortune) and a toy male figure. The checkered aesthetic of the spinning top corresponds to the tiled patterns of Kuveloğlu Han. The adaptation created for the theatrical performance and the miniature designed for the theatre poster function as complementary works. The visual language of the piece draws inspiration from the black-and-white illustration and engraving style of the Istanbul Encyclopedia.

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“Site-Based Theatre”

On the Trail of Love in Istanbul: The Case of Circassian Rıdvan’s Intrigue”

Writer: Reşad Ekrem Koçu Project Design: Yağmur Dolkun, Tülin Özen, Lara Lakay Adapted from the Original: Lara Lakay Music Director :Gökçe ‘CheChe ‘Gürçay Musicians : Volkan İncüvez, Miray Eslek, Özlem Kaya, Gökçe ‘CheChe ‘Gürçay Stage Manager: Umutsu Rışvanlı Poster Design: Cansu Çakar Assistants: Atakan Uyanık, Selin Beliz Şaha, Alara Erdem Production: Tülin Özen, Yağmur Dolkun Performer: Cem Zeynel Kılıç Special Thanks to: Volkan Kuştul, Vildan Akbay, Han sakinleri, Ayşe Botan Berker, Umut Hanioğlu, Emine Nimet Memioğlu, Hasan Şükrü Ulucan, Mehmet Bülent Ulucan, Ümit Levent Ulucan, Songül Yıldaş Durgut, Kenan Doğulu, Doğulu Müzik Brief Synopsis The meddah tale “The Wardrobe of Rıdvan: The Circassian” from Reşad Ekrem Koçu’s book What Has Happened on the Path of Love in Istanbul comes to life on stage in the heart of the city, inside the historic Han. This original adaptation aims to translate Koçu’s distinctive portrayal of urban memory and the mythologies of Istanbul’s figures into a contemporary performative language, opening a dialogue with today’s audiences. Blending traditional storytelling with episodic dramaturgy, music, and choral arrangements, the play explores themes such as love, jealousy, class difference, and the desire for freedom—rendered in the satirical tone of 17th-century Istanbul. As the narrative reflects the city’s everyday life, gossip, and vivid contradictions, it unfolds across the multi-level architecture of the Han, evolving into a scenographic experience shaped by the space itself. With its polyphonic structure that traverses time and tone, “The Wardrobe of Rıdvan: The Circassian” bridges the theatrical traditions of the past with a contemporary aesthetic—inviting the audience to become both witnesses and participants in a living, layered story.