Devising the personal in post-pandemic Istanbul

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Istanbul’s theatre landscape has been a site of resilience and reclamation, with artists devising theatre and performance to navigate the resultant societal stasis. This study probes the efficacy of autobiographical material in devised performances, investigating its dual role as a mirror to societal crises and a vehicle for artists to articulate individual and collective disorientation. Through an auto-ethnographic examination of three Istanbul-based artists – Melek Ceylan, Onur Karaoğlu and Didem Kris – this research captures the nuanced interplay between personal narrative and communal resonance. The methodology integrates performance analysis with artist interviews, utilizing a new materialist lens to emphasize the ethics of care within the creative process. The findings reveal how these solo performances, grounded in the personal, transcend individual experiences, connect with broader societal challenges and foster a sense of communal identity. In doing so, this study illuminates the transformative potential of devising post-pandemic theatre, suggesting its power to chronicle the era’s challenges and offer alternative narratives that confront Turkey’s mainstream performing arts paradigms.