As Much is a site-specific performance inspired by William Shakespeare’s King Lear.

Produced in collaboration between performance and theatre arts platform Proje Difüzyon and the art initiative Yoğunluk, the play is uniquely located at the Kuzguncuk Pier Building, one of the historical piers of İstanbul, and combines different disciplines including architecture, contemporary art and performance. The project is directed by Özgül Akıncı, Project Diffusion is responsible for acting and dramaturgy, and sound, light, image elements such as arranging the space (scenography) is undertaken by the art collective Yoğunluk.

King Lear, written in 1608, is regarded by many researchers as one of Shakespeare’s most challenging scripts. Challenging not only for its linguistic, semantic and symbolic depth but also for the on-stage action it contains. Yet, as the diversity in the history of its production indicates, the philosophical depth of the work presents a treasure trove for interdisciplinary artistic creations.

We could say the most important reason we chose this play for such a site-specific performance is that it contains inexhaustible associations and an abundance on the limits of human perception and cognisance. The range of emotional and corporeal experience the play holds has been a rare source for the wholesome perceptual experience we intended for this site-specific performance. King Lear has been the fundamental source of inspiration for our actor’s dramaturgy for its aspects of questioning both the fictional nature and the binding ethics of the bonds that make people responsible for each other. As a performance that places equal importance to all elements that establish the atmosphere such as sound, light and acting, and endeavours to establish an integrated perception of the spatial experience; it contains creations unique to both King Lear and Kuzguncuk Pier Building.

During the performance, the visitors’ perception will be enhanced using multimedia devices, a 360° view of the site, being immersed in the space, amplified hearing capacity with headphones and various movement combinations. Meanwhile, the actors will accompany the visitors as narrators who construct spatial and linguistic reality. Visitors will witness this performance, which lasts approximately an hour, by walking around the place and seeing different points with differing viewing experiences. With the aim of maximising the quality of the spatial experience, the performance will take place with ten admitted visitors at a time. As Much aims to give the visitor a site-specific, integrative and inclusive experience that can be observed in the intersection of performance, contemporary art and architecture.

Directed by

Özgül Akıncı

Dramaturgy:

Özgül Akıncı, Zinnure Türe, İsmail Eğler, Elif Tekir

Devised Texts:

Zinnure Türe, Oya Bacak, Sedat Can Güvenç, Özgül Akıncı

Sound & Light Design:

Yoğunluk

Scenography:

Yoğunluk

Costume Design:

Ülkü Şahin

Assistants:

Edanur Köşeli, Yağmur Ruken Kahraman, Ayda Akkaya

Performance:

Zinnure Türe, Oya Bacak, Sedat Can Güvenç