‘Hamlet’ debuts in Kurdish

DİYARBAKIR - Doğan News Agency

Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ was staged in Kurdish for the first time in Amsterdam. DHA photo

William Shakespeare’s celebrated play, “Hamlet,” made its Kurdish language premier in the Dutch capital of Amsterdam. The Kurdish play’s inaugural performance by the Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality City Theater and the Dutch Rast Theater took place at the Stadsschouwburg Theater. The play was produced by Rast Theater in co-operation with the Cultural department of Diyarbakır in the hopes that this adaption of “Hamlet” would bring Kurdish culture to the attention of a wider international audience.

In addition to Kurdish people living in the Netherlands, the Dutch showed great interest in the play as well. Directed by Rast Theater General Art Director Celil Toksöz, the play casts Yavuz Akkuzu as Hamlet and also features Özcan Ateş, Elvan Koçer, Mesut Erenol, Mehmet Emin Yalçınkaya, Serdar Geren, İsmail Oyur, Rojda, Gülseven Medar and Ali Tekbaş.

“Hamlet” was translated into Kurdish by Kawa Nemir with the title “Hamlet– Hebun an Nebun” and music was specially composed for this adaptation. After touring the Netherlands and Sweden, the play will be staged in Diyarbakır on Nov. 9.