Tiyatro BeReZe was founded in 2006 by three friends from the Department of Theatre at Ankara University: Firuze Engin, Elif Temuçin and Erkan Uyanıksoy. The theatre launched its first production in 2008. BeReZe has been actively making theatre since.
Between 2008 and 2023, BeReZe has put twenty plays on stage in different styles such as storytelling, object theatre, clown, dance theatre and buffoon –which are performed in many countries including Turkey, Germany, France, Denmark, Brazil, Cuba, Macedonia, Romania and Serbia. In collaboration with other companies, the BeReZe crew also toured in China, South Korea, Sweden, Russia, Spain and Poland.
Tiyatro BeReZe's academically trained members are involved in professional writing, acting, directing, puppetry, physical theatre and storytelling. For them, every new project is an opportunity to search for new theatrical means and to create novel performance pieces. Based in Istanbul, BeReZe continues to make theatre for adults and young audiences on a regular basis at the BeReZe Performance House in Istanbul.
History of BeReZe Plays
BeReZe's first production While You Were Away, written and directed by Elif Temuçin for 5-9 age group, premiered on March 20th, 2008, at the International Children and Youth Theatre Day.
2008-2009 theatre season brought second production But I Need It, again aimed for children. While You Were Away -an object theatre piece-, and But I Need It -a puppet theatre piece- were both performed in Ankara and Istanbul until June 2010.
The third production, a play for adults, Would Should Could -directed by Elif Temuçin- consisted of two short play by David Ives; "Sure Thing" and "English Made Simple" and one short play by Elif Temuçin: "As You Wish". Would Should Could premiered in 2010.
In 2010-2011 theatre season, BeReZe made two plays for children. An object theatre play Lost and Found -adapted from a short story by Sevim Ak; and Too Cold -as a non-verbal performance- was directed by Torkild Lindjeberg (artistic director of Teater TT) and premiered in Copenhagen at Batida Theatre House.
BeReZe added its repertoire an adaptation from N.V.Gogol's "The Nose", "The Overcoat" and "The Government Inspector" in 2011-2012 theatre season. Gogol Stories -as a physical storytelling performance- was supervised by Ole Brekke -director of The Commedia School. Tiyatro BeReZe won 12th Direklerarası Audience Theatre Awards for "Innovative Theatre of 2012" with Gogol Stories.
In 2013, BeReZe has collaborated with Teatergruppen Batida -a Danish theatre company- to perform The Elephant written and directed by Søren Ovesen -artistic director of Batida. The Elephant premiered in Copenhagen in October 2013.
For 2013-2014 theatre season, BeReZe also has brought Women with Red Shoes on stage, which strives to understand 'woman issue in Turkey' through the intersections of everyday life and archaic stories where the performers' own stories and a fairy tale interpenetrates.
BeReZe has had two international projects for 2014-2015: Perfect Integration -a buffoon performance- as a grotesque look at the integration problem of Europe, which is co-produced by Dan Size Fits All Productions and premiered at Danmarks Internationale Gadeteaterfestival in August 2014; and Home // Ev as a dance theatre performance in cooperation with French dance theatre company Compagnie Litécox, which is premiered at Bursa International Theatre Festival 2014.
In February 2016, Macbeth / a nightmare for two premiered in Istanbul. The play was nominated for Afife Theatre Awards 2016 in two categories: The Best Actor of the Year and The Best Stage Design of the Year.
BeReZe celebrated 10th anniversary of its founding at the 2016-2017 season with Only A Day written by German author Martin Baltscheit for 8 years and up.
At the end of the year 2017, BeReZe premiered Tide, a performance bringing a grotesque perspective about the issue of living together in a society, immigration and integration.
During our tours and workshops in Germany between 2016 and 2018, BeReZe and Bremer Shakespeare Company (Bremen) developed a mutual artistic interest in each others’ works and Coriolanus - a bilingual (German and Turkish) co-production premiered in Bremen in October 2019 as the result of this interest. Coriolanus performed at Globe Neuss Shakespeare Festival which is one of the most prestigious Shakespeare festivals, in July 2021.
In 2019-2020 theatre season, also, All of a Sudden which won Istanbul Art and Culture Foundation’s Gülriz Sururi & Engin Cezzar Theatre Award, started performing in Istanbul in January 2020.
After the necessary Covid break, in March 2022, BeReZe put All Happened Before Our Very Eyes on stage, which is an adaptation from the myth “King Midas and The Donkey Ears” - a story going after the themes such as illusion, misgiving, gossip and secretion. This play is awarded as "The New Original Play" by XXIII. Direklerarası Audience Awards in 2023.
For 2022-23 theatre season; BeReZe has brought three classics on stage: Molière’s The Miser, Ionesco’s Exit The King and Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors in collaboration with Bremer Shakespeare Company. The Miser won "The Best Comedy Play Award”, “The Best Supporting Actor Award” from XXIII. Direklerarası Audience Awards and “The Best Ensemble Play Award” from Üstün Akmen Theatre Awards. Also BeReZe got “Contribution to Turkish Theatre Award” from Üstün Akmen Theatre Awards in 2023.
Festivals Attended
2023
- 10th Itaka Shakespeare Festival
Novi Sad, Serbia
Macbeth / A Nightmare For Two - 30th Sibiu International Theatre Festival
Sibiu, Romanya
Macbeth / A Nightmare For Two - Shakespeare Festival - Globe Neuss
Neuss, Germany
The Comedy of Errors - METU Festival
Ankara, Türkiye
Cimri
2022
- Istanbul Fringe Festival
Istanbul, Turkey
All Happened Before Our Very Eyes - Shakespeare Festival - Globe Neuss
Neuss, Germany
Macbeth / a nightmare for two - TheatreIST
Istanbul, Turkey
Macbeth / a nightmare for two - Borçka International Youth and Theatre Festival
Borçka - Artvin, Turkey
All of a Sudden
2021
- Istanbul Fringe Festival
Istanbul, Turkey
All of a Sudden - Shakespeare Festival - Globe Neuss
Neuss, Germany
Coriolanus
2020
- Kadıköy Municipality Art in Park Festival
Istanbul, Turkey
The Elephant
2018
- Koç University Little Theatre Festival
Istanbul, Turkey
The Elephant - Bergama Theatre Festival
Bergama, Turkey
Too Cold - Nilüfer Theatre Festival
Bursa, Turkey
Macbeth / a nightmare for two
2017
- CPH Stage Festival
Copenhagen, Denmark
Macbeth / a nightmare for two - Boğaziçi University Festival
Istanbul, Turkey
Would Should Could
2016
- 21st Bursa Int. Theatre Festival for Children and Young Audience
Bursa, Turkey
Only A Day - X. Festival Internacional Paidéia de Teatro
São Paulo, Brazil
Too Cold - CPH Stage Festival
Copenhagen, Denmark
Macbeth / a nightmare for two - CPH Stage Festival
Copenhagen, Denmark
The Elephant - 6th Sarıyer TiyatrOda Festival
Istanbul, Turkey
Macbeth / a nightmare for two
2015
- 5th Sarıyer TiyatrOda Festival
Istanbul, Turkey
The Elephant - Girne American University Theatre Festival
Girne, Cyprus
Too Cold - La Cruzada Teatral
Bayamo, Cuba
The Elephant
2014
- 19th Bursa Int. Theatre Festival for Children and Young Audience
Bursa, Turkey
Home // Ev - Danmarks Internationale Gadeteater Festival
Tour in Denmark
Perfect Integration - Westwind Festival - 30th Theatertreffen NRW. für Junges Publikum
Essen, Germany
Too Cold - METU Theatre Festival 2014
Ankara, Turkey
The Elephant - 4th Sarıyer TiyatrOda Fetsival
Istanbul, Turkey
Would Should Could
2013
- 18th Bursa Int. Theatre Festival for Children and Young Audience
Bursa, Turkey
The Elephant - 3th International Theatre Festival for Children 'Bitolino 2013'
Bitola, Macedonia
Too Cold - METU Theatre Festival 2013
Ankara, Turkey
Would Should Could - 3th Sarıyer TiyatrOda Festival
Istanbul, Turkey
Too Cold
2012
- 17th Bursa Int. Theatre Festival for Children and Young Audience
Bursa, Turkey
Too Cold - 7th Eskişehir Int. Theatre Festival for Children and Young Audience
Eskişehir, Turkey
Too Cold - METU Theatre Festival 2012
Ankara, Turkey
Gogol Stories - 2nd Sarıyer TiyatrOda Festival
Istanbul, Turkey
Lost and Found - 28th Istanbul Municipality Theatre Festival
Istanbul, Turkey
Too Cold - 6th Izmir Puppet Days
Izmir, Turkey
While You Were Away
2011
- 1st International Humour Festival
Istanbul, Turkey
Lost and Found - 4th International Trakya Puppet Festival
Lüleburgaz, Turkey
Lost and Found - 2nd Taylıeli Culture - Art and Theatre Festival
Burhaniye, Turkey
Lost and Found - 3rd Türkan Saylan Children Festival
Akçakoca, Turkey
Lost and Found - 27th Istanbul Municipality Theatre Festival
Istanbul, Turkey
Lost and Found - 14th International Istanbul Puppet Festival
Istanbul, Turkey
Lost and Found - 16th Bursa Int. Theatre Festival for Children and Young Audience
Bursa, Turkey
Lost and Found
2010
- 2nd Türkan Saylan Children Festival
Akçakoca, Turkey
While You Were Away - 26th Istanbul Municipality Theatre Festival
Istanbul, Turkey
While You Were Away
2009
- March 20th World Day of Theatre for Children and Young People
Ankara, Turkey
But I Need It - 14th Bursa Int. Theatre Festival for Children and Young Audience
Bursa, Turkey
But I Need It - 14th Ankara International Theatre Festival
Ankara, Turkey
But I Need It
2008
- 13th Bursa Int. Theatre Festival for Children and Young Audience
Bursa, Turkey
While You Were Away - 2nd Little Ladies Little Gentlemen Int. Children's Festival
Ankara, Turkey
While You Were Away - March 20th World Day of Theatre for Children and Young People
Ankara, Turkey
While You Were Away
